


you're my kind of forever

by sodelicate



Series: your voice in my dreams (soulmates AU) [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, POV Alternating, Romantic Soulmates, Volleyball Dorks in Love, canon kagehina but with a soulmates twist, more like volleyball soulmates tbh, this was supposed to be a one-shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2019-12-29 20:18:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18301238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sodelicate/pseuds/sodelicate
Summary: Why?Hinata bemoans. Everyone else’s soulmate-meeting story is so cute and wholesome—his parents met at a coffee shop where his father worked part-time while in college—whilehishas to be at some toilet where he's being jeered at by his opponents.Hinata wants to prove himself to his soulmate, as well as to defeat him. Kageyama flat-out refuses to acknowledge his. But through a divine twist of fate (and ending up on the same volleyball team), they end up aiming to stand on the summit together.





	1. wings aren't what you need (you need me)

**Author's Note:**

> what am i doing. this was _supposed_ to be a one-shot, but somehow it spiraled into needing to be split into 3 parts. hopefully this will be the only fic in this series that will be Not A One-Shot.
> 
> this was beta'd by the lovely [Louie_writes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Louie_writes) and [kourota](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kourota). go give them some love :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a fair warning, a large chunk of this fic—especially this chapter—is based on canon events, which means that a lot of canon kagehina events are rewritten through a 'soulmates lens', as this fic basically depicts canon kagehina as soulmates. i tried to make put my own twist on the events, so hopefully it doesn't get too boring to read! :>
> 
> the title of this chapter is from ['Endlessly' by The Cab.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoWXANu5Rts)

Soulmates are a big deal, Hinata Shouyou knows. His parents, being soulmates themselves, have continuously emphasised the big deal of soulmates and finding your soulmate. If he should find his (and the odds of that are rather low), he should never let them go. In this universe, you only have one soulmate, after all.

Luckily, the universe has given him a hint to help him identify his soulmate should he meet them, which is the voice he hears in his dreams occasionally. According to his parents, he would be able to recognise his soulmate instantly upon hearing their voice. They describe it as an innate sense, something he would _never_ be able to mistake.

This makes Hinata rather excited about the prospect of getting to meet his soulmate. How is it that he will be able to just _recognise_ his soulmate’s voice like _bam_ if he's never met them before? This, he wants to know.

He remains surprisingly patient by his standards. He would've torn the world apart trying to locate his soulmate if it weren't for his parents telling him firmly that he would meet his soulmate only if fate allows it. Fate, huh… That sounds like a mighty big thing that Hinata, at a wide-eyed age of fifteen, is still trying to comprehend.

It must be fate that on his way home, he managed to catch sight of Karasuno’s legendary Ace on TV; the Little Giant who managed to spike the ball past a wall of blockers all looming over him like towers over a sprout. Despite his significantly smaller stature, he racked up points for Karasuno like no tomorrow. It must also be fate that a galaxy of stars lights up in his mind and Hinata thinks to himself, _Amazing… I want to be like him too._

Hinata wonders if it truly is fate that he struggles to build a proper volleyball team for his junior high. The same mechanism of the universe that determines the voice he hears in his dreams is now keeping his dream of a _real_ volleyball team, like the one he saw on TV, away from him.

(But then it’s like fate smiling down on him when his friends eventually agree to join his team and make his dream a reality.)

And it feels extremely much like fate that he meets his soulmate on the day of his very first official volleyball match.

 

* * *

 

Well, it would feel more fateful if they met somewhere that isn't a gymnasium bathroom and in a context where Hinata was not struggling with a debilitating stomach ache from pre-match nerves and being taunted by some assholes from some other junior high.

A jolt electrifies every nerve in Hinata’s body when he hears _that_ voice—“Oi, second-years. We’re starting the official warm-ups, so hurry up and get to it.”

Disbelief like ice-cold water floods through him. While he has heard his soulmate’s voice before, hearing it in real life feels rather… _gah?_ While he definitely sounded grouchy in Hinata’s dreams, he sounds positively _terrifying_ in real life, like a demonic ruler over the underworld or something.

 _Why?_ Hinata bemoans. Everyone else’s soulmate-meeting story is so cute and wholesome—his parents met at a coffee shop where his father worked part-time while in college—while _his_ has to be at some toilet where he's being jeered at by his opponents.

He forces himself to look up so he can see who his soulmate is for himself. A shiver creeps through his body. His soulmate looks… well, rather much like a demon risen from the depths of hell. A somewhat _attractive_ -looking demon—tall, dark-haired, deep blue eyes that singers love to croon about in their love songs—but the menacing scowl on his face somewhat ruins that impression.

“Even though you're on the bench, do you plan to get stronger by looking down on your opponents?” the demon barks. “Don't think you can just coast by on your school’s name.”

“We’re sorry, Kageyama-san!” the boys whimper. “We’ll get going now.”

Right after the boys who were previously taunting Hinata scamper away, the demon turns sharply on his heel—and their eyes lock. Hinata is just barely able to suppress the shudder that racks his whole body.

 _He's terrifying,_ Hinata whimpers to himself. But still, he refuses to be intimidated by his soulmate.

“I was—I was going to say that, you know?” Hinata pipes up. Damn it, his voice wobbled towards the end of his sentence. A sharp pain stabs his stomach, causing him to double over once again.

The demon’s glare locks on him like the aim of a sniper. “Players who can't even take care of their own bodies shouldn't say such self-important things. That's why you were ridiculed. It’s only natural to be completely prepared for a match, but clearly you are not. Just what did you come here to do? To ‘make memories’ or some shit like that?”

All at once, the sharp pain in Hinata’s abdomen vanishes, replaced by a burning yet steely resolve. He straightens his back, pulling himself back up to his full height (which, admittedly, isn't as impressive as the demon’s). He firmly plants himself before the other player and declares, “I came here to win, of course!”

“Tch. You make it sound like it’s such an easy task to accomplish. You know that height is something essential to volleyball, right?”

Indignation flares through Hinata. The mental image of the Little Giant soaring in the air flickers in his mind, and his resolve solidifies further. “It’s true that I’m not very tall, but I can jump! It’s not like the outcome of the match has already been decided—I don't have to give up, and I don't _want_ to give up.”

“Tch.” The demon turns away from him and starts to stalk away. “Not giving up is easier said than done. It’s not just about compensating for differences in physique, skill and power. You'll understand when we play against each other later.”

Hinata’s fists clench tighter, his nails digging grooves into his palms. How dare he? How dare this guy, Hinata’s supposed _soulmate_ , look down on his efforts when he didn't even know him? “Finally… I finally get to play volleyball on a court with six people. The first match, the second match—we’ll win. We’ll play lots of matches, and we’ll win them all!”

Something about that makes the demon halt in his tracks. “The first match, the second match, and in all matches nationwide…” Abruptly, he whirls around to face Hinata. Hinata flinches, but nevertheless he stands his ground. “The one standing on the winning side of the court will be _me_.”

For a split second, or maybe an eternity, the two of them burn holes into each other with their blazing stares. Hinata’s knees start to quake from the intensity of the demon’s glare, but he refuses to back off. He can't, not after declaring he'd beat him.

Then the demon spins around and marches back to the court. At once, all the fight drains Hinata's body just as quickly as it entered.

“Phew, that was scary,” Hinata mutters to himself. If that really _is_ his soulmate… no, it _has_ to be a mistake. There's no way his soulmate is such a mean, scary jerk.

_Soulmates…_

That gives Hinata some pause. Wait… aren't soulmates supposed to acknowledge each other? That's what his parents did when they first met; they were like, “Hey, your voice sounds familiar. Think I may have heard it in a dream before.” Hinata _would_ have done that, if his soulmate wasn't a complete asshole.

_“The one standing on the winning side of the court will be me.”_

No, Hinata decides. It doesn't matter if that guy is his soulmate or not; he looked down on Hinata, he insulted him, and Hinata is not going to take that lightly. He's going to do everything in his power to defeat him—the whole soulmates thing can come later.

Volleyball comes first.

 

* * *

 

After the devastating loss to Kitagawa Daiichi, Hinata stands firm at the top of the stairs, looking down at his now-sworn nemesis—Kageyama Tobio, as Hinata learned his name was. Tears cloud his vision, his fists shake, but damn him if he doesn't stand his ground against his rival. The whole soulmates business has been shoved to the very back of his mind; all he's fixated on now is beating this guy in volleyball.

“Hey, you!” Hinata shouts.

Kageyama’s shoulders instantly stiffen. He whirls around with the already-familiar demon-like glare on his face, but Hinata refuses to be intimidated by it. Kageyama doesn't say anything, just glowers up at Hinata.

“If you're the reigning king of the court, then I’ll overthrow you from your title and be the one who stands on the court the longest!” Hinata declares. He pours everything—all his passion, anger and humiliation—in him into this one declaration, so that maybe even the fates would hear it.

“If you want to win and advance, try growing stronger,” Kageyama replies, his voice as sharp and precise as an arrow. He turns pointedly on his heel and stalks off to his team’s bus, leaving Hinata standing at the top of the stairs, silently vowing to beat him no matter what it will take.

And so, Hinata trains. He seeks out members of the girls’ volleyball team, the neighbourhood team comprised of middle-aged mothers, as well as his own non-volleyball-playing friends to practise with. He needs to grow, become stronger and faster, if he wants to fulfill the bold promise he made to his arch-nemesis.

Unfortunately, Hinata is unable to keep his mouth shut, so one time when training with his best friends he accidentally blabs about the… unique bond he and Kageyama share besides being sworn volleyball enemies for life.

“Seriously, Shou-chan?” Izumi gapes at him. He catches the volleyball Hinata spikes to him instead of tossing it back. “Why would you make your _soulmate_ your rival? He's, like, your one and only, the person you're gonna be with for the rest of your life.”

Hinata stiffens. “If I could pick my soulmate, I definitely wouldn't choose a mean jerk like him. I have no idea why the fates thought we would be a good match.”

His parents always told him how one’s soulmate is carefully chosen by the fates to complement who you are at the very basis of your person. The thing is: Hinata simply cannot _see_ how someone like _Kageyama Tobio_ is able to complement him. They are polar opposites the way _“gwah!”_ and _“bleh!”_ are. The fates must have made a mistake somewhere along the line, because there is _no_ way Hinata is going to be spending the rest of his life with an asshole like that.

Besides, volleyball comes first. Beating his sworn rival comes first. That is the goal that drives Hinata to train relentlessly even after everyone else has slumped onto the ground in exhaustion.

The memory of seeing the Little Giant blast past the wall of blockers is what compels Hinata to enroll in Karasuno High School. He’s practically bursting at the seams with excitement. _Finally_ , he's able to join the team his idol played on all those years ago. Maybe being on the team the Little Giant once played on will help him become strong enough to take down Kageyama Tobio.

That is, until he sees said sworn rival tossing a volleyball in the school gym, and the momentum of the earth's revolution screeches to a halt.

 

* * *

 

Is this the universe’s idea of a joke or something? For the whole of Kageyama’s life, he has heard whispers of this whole ‘soulmates’ thing going around, but he could never bring himself to care. Volleyball—that is what comes first. He has sworn that to himself from the very first time he started playing, that he will not let anything stand in his way of becoming the best volleyball player in Japan—no, in the _world_.

Hence, the fact that his soulmate—the one constantly yelling _“UWAH!”_ in his dreams when he's trying to sleep—is apparently a complete _noob_ at volleyball must be some kind of sick joke.

“You…” Kageyama fails to stifle the growl that rips out of his throat. “You’re the guy at last year’s…”

“My name is Hinata Shouyou!” the noob yells. As if the universe is trying to prove a point, something in Kageyama’s chest stirs. A natural biological reaction, that's all it is. Your body reacts upon hearing your soulmate’s voice, and there is nothing more to that. “You better remember it! But you probably won’t remember a guy from that team who lost in the first round, huh?”

Kageyama’s eyebrow twitches. Must this… guy (he refuses to acknowledge a loser like him as his soulmate) talk so damn much? “Oh no, I _definitely_ remember you.”

How could he not? The sight of ridiculously short and scrawny Hinata soaring higher than what should be possible in the air has refused to leave Kageyama’s mind for the past year. It pops up every time he picks up a volleyball, every time he sets it, every time he serves it. Sometimes, he even wonders what it would be like to set to someone who can fly the way Hinata did. But he won't. Never in this lifetime or in the next would he ever toss to someone who thinks he can reach the top of the volleyball world with something as lame and flimsy as ‘hope’. There is no point hoping with all your heart if you’re not going to put any effort into it.

They bicker back and forth, the volleyball lying forgotten at Kageyama’s feet. He tries to make his retorts as snappy as possible, in hopes that it would aggravate Hinata into leaving him alone. Unfortunately, like a stupid piece of gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe, he stays. Since Kageyama is not going to back down either, he continues arguing with Hinata.

That is, until Hinata brings up his damned junior high nickname, and that's when Kageyama decides enough is enough.

He whirls around, so Hinata can't see whatever expression he must be making right now. His fists clench so hard his already-short nails dig painfully into his calloused palms. He takes a moment to dissolve the sudden lump in his throat through sheer force of will, then growls, “Oi… do _not_ call me that.” He glances over his shoulder, twisting his facial muscles into the most menacing glare he can muster. “ _Ever_.”

Hinata flinches like a jumpy rabbit. He’s not as tough as he likes to act, huh? “What—but you _are_ the King—”

Just then, the door swings open, and in saunters in three guys Kageyama has never seen before: a dark-haired, broad-shouldered one; another with ashy hair and soft features; and a bald third one wearing an intimidating scowl on his face. They introduce themselves as Daichi the captain, Sugawara the vice-captain, and Tanaka the second-year respectively.

The captain starts going on some speech or another, but it doesn't take long before Kageyama and Hinata get into yet another argument. Not even the vice principal entering and asking them to keep it down could get them to stop.

“Serve,” Hinata utters, pointing straight at Kageyama. His face is no longer twisted into a scowl, but instead his expression radiates pure, serious focus. This… Kageyama could get with (in an alternate universe, obviously). “I wasn't able to return any of your shots last year, but now I can.”

(Kageyama vaguely recalls Hinata returning one of his shots with his face.)

“I’ve practised with many people—guys from other clubs, the girls’ volleyball team, mothers and the like,” Hinata continues. “I'm no longer the same as I was last year.”

That definitely piques Kageyama’s interest. “Not the same as last year, huh?” He examines Hinata from head to toe. Initially, there didn't seem to be any noteworthy changes in Hinata—but now that he’s taking a closer look, he notices that Hinata is a little taller and more toned now (but only a little), as well as the fire in his eyes that seems to have grown brighter since last year.

Kageyama picks up the volleyball, holds it up in Hinata’s direction, and lets an almost-maniacal grin stretch across his face. “I see. I'm not the same as I was last year, either.” Indeed, he has spent the past year working hard to master jump-serving, as well as improving his tossing and overall physical condition. It wasn't easy, training all alone because his team had isolated him after that disastrous match, but he made it work.

Vaguely, he hears the senpai say something or another to them, but he figures it isn't important. What matters now is seeing how exactly Hinata has changed, and if that change is worth acknowledging him as a player.

They head towards opposite sides of the court. On his end, Kageyama bounces the ball up and down several times, something he saw Oikawa-san do before serving. Once he’s warmed up, he executes a jump serve, blasting the ball towards Hinata—and blasting Hinata off his feet. Eh…? Didn't Hinata just say he would return each and every one of Kageyama’s serves? Then what was that piss-poor non-receive?

Kageyama’s blood boils. “Just how is that any different from last year, huh?”

But instead of staying down, Hinata springs back on his feet. The fire in his eyes blaze brighter than ever. It ensnares Kageyama, rendering him unable to look away. “One more!”

… Fine. If he insists.

Kageyama picks up a second ball from the ball cart, then moves into position. Once more, he sends the ball hurtling towards Hinata—and this time, Hinata’s arms thrust forward, perfect to receive the ball.

Except it bounces right off his arms and nails first Hinata, then the vice-principal right in the face. The force of the impact is so hard, the vice-principal’s… hair? Whatever it is, it flies right off his head and lands squarely on the captain’s head. Crap, Kageyama totally over-calculated the amount of power needed for that serve. If that was an actual match, he would have lost that point.

After Daichi returns from wherever the vice-principal summoned him to with the news that they _didn't see_ what had happened, Kageyama returns his attention to what is obviously the only correct course of action to take—berate Hinata for that weak-ass receive.

“It’s all because you didn't receive it properly,” Kageyama fumes, and Hinata flinches. “You’re hopeless. What's all that ‘I'm different from last year’ bullshit? Don't mess with me or waste my time. I’ve lost whatever little hope I had in you, you piece of shit.”

“Each of those comments was more than enough, really…” Hinata whines.

“Hey… I’d like the both of you to _actually_ listen to me for once.”

For the first time that day, Kageyama truly hears Daichi, and the dark tone—like it’s silk concealing poison—instantly makes his entire body stiffen.

“You know, I'm not telling you two to be friends. Although you two were enemies on opposite sides of the net in junior high, now you should be aware that you guys are comrades playing on the _same side_ of the net. That—” Daichi’s final statement is punctuated with a fierce, dark glare, sending shivers down Kageyama’s spine. “—is what I'm saying.”

Well… the fact that Hinata is now Kageyama’s _teammate_ (on top of being his soulmate, but the ‘teammate’ thing is the more pressing matter right now) hasn't fully sunk in yet. But even so—looking at Hinata, whose receives are weaker than even some of his kouhai in junior high, he can't quite bring himself to acknowledge Hinata as someone who would be essential to victory. _His_ victory.

Daichi stalks towards them, their application forms clutched so tightly in his hands they are starting to crumple. “No matter how willing you are to put in effort during training, first-years who fight among themselves and cause trouble for the team are—” He slams their forms right in their faces. “—not needed!”

Daichi shoves them out of the gym before Kageyama can even think of a protest.

“Wa-wait—” Hinata stammers, but Daichi cuts him off.

“Until you two learn to view each other as teammates, I absolutely will not allow you two to participate in club activities!”

With that, the door slams shut, leaving Kageyama literally locked out of his dream.

 

* * *

 

This is ridiculous. Moments ago, Kageyama tried promising to work together with Hinata (lies through his gritted teeth), but the captain saw right through it and shut the door right in his face again. Then when he's upfront about wanting to play on his own, Daichi is quick to shoot him down and remind him that whether he likes it or not, there is a good reason why volleyball is a _team_ sport.

 _Recognise each other as teammates? Does that captain realise how pretty much IMPOSSIBLE that is?_ Kageyama gripes to himself. There is no way that in this life, in this existence, in this universe will he acknowledge Hinata as his soulmate, let alone his _teammate._

“They say they're called the fallen crows. I have the potential to make their team better,” Kageyama rants. “That by itself is enough reason to let me join the club!”

Hinata clicks his tongue. “You really _are_ a king, huh?”

Incensed, Kageyama whips around. He's ready to cut Hinata down to size again—but then Hinata follows up with, “But… but what are you going to do about it? How are you gonna convince them to let you in?”

Kageyama pauses, and an idea blooms in his mind. Truth be told, he doesn't like this idea one bit. He doesn't like having to rely on this little squirt to get him a position on the team… but at the same time he _really_ wants to join the team. “Let’s challenge them to a two-on-two match on the condition that if we win, they’ll let us join. I’d hate to be on the same team as you in a game,” he hurriedly adds, “but at least in this aspect we think alike. We both want to get this done and over with quickly so we can play.”

“With—with the senpai as our opponents?” Hinata yelps. “What happens if we lose?”

Kageyama turns on his heel, marching back to the gym door. “We won't, because I'm here. Try your best not to hold me back.”

After yet another round of bickering (in which Hinata used plenty of weird sounds like _“guwah!”_ because he doesn't know how to speak proper Japanese apparently), they stand right outside the door and bellow their declarations to challenge the senpai, as well as promise to work together. They had to do a countdown so they could say it in sync, but it’s the declaration that matters more. Getting to play volleyball matters more.

“Well then.” Daichi folds his arms as he surveys the both of them, as if calculating something. “Other than you guys, there are two other first-years who want to join the team too. Why don't you guys play a three-on-three against them?”

Daichi proceeds to make arrangements regarding the teams, which is where Kageyama tunes out so he can start running preparations through his mind. He needs to continue working on his serve—it could definitely use more control and precision—and there’s Hinata shitty receive that needs a _lot_ of work too. And not to mention—

“In any case that you guys lose, as long as we third-years are around, Kageyama will not be allowed to be setter,” Daichi says, unceremoniously dragging Kageyama’s attention back to the conversation.

The abrupt announcement hits Kageyama right in the gut like a carefully-aimed jump-serve. “Huh? Is that—”

“It’s not just a simple punishment. Someone who loses a match because they relied only on their own ability to win and refused to acknowledge the strengths of their teammates—that person cannot be trusted to lead a team to victory.”

Kageyama actually has to take a step back. It would have been much less shocking if Daichi just straight-up punched him. Automatically, his fists clench, and a scowl forms on his face.

Daichi raises an eyebrow, like he can read Kageyama like a book. “What's wrong? It’s not like I'm saying you can't join the team _at all._ You're a strong player, aren't you? Surely any position on the team would do for you?”

Kageyama can't take this anymore. This is _not_ what he came for. He didn't come here to be reminded of his failures at Kitagawa Daiichi; he just wants to play. “ _I'm a setter!_ ”

“Well, if you want that position, you’re going to have to win. And to do that, you can't simply prance in and expect to be able to coast by on your own abilities.” Before Kageyama can argue any further (though, the truth is that he doesn't know _what_ he can use as an argument against the captain who has seen right through him like a flimsy sheet of paper), Daichi adds, “The game will be on Saturday morning, in this gym. It would do you both good to come prepared.”

“One more thing,” Sugawara adds, his voice much lighter than Daichi’s. “You're both soulmates, aren't you?”

“ _Eh?!”_ Kageyama and Hinata yelp in unison.

Sugawara chuckles. “That confirms it. Whether you like it or not, the both of you have your fates intertwined. At some point or another, you’re going to have to acknowledge that. But I guess I shouldn't worry if the both of you have already made a pact to work together, huh?”

“Eh?”

Not leaving any room for comment, Sugawara turns around and shuts the door on their face once more.

 _Acknowledge what?_ Kageyama grumbles. _There is nothing to acknowledge. We’re just going to work together so we can make the team. That's all there is to it._

(But the image of the roaring fire in Hinata’s eyes remains etched into Kageyama’s memory, like it’s demanding to be noticed—and to be gazed at in awe.)

 

* * *

 

The first time Kageyama tosses to Hinata when they’re practising, Hinata feels like his heart could burst with joy. Finally, _finally_ he's being acknowledged as a proper player. And by Grumpy-yama, no less! Even meeting that tall blond Tsukki-whatever asshole doesn't put a dampen on his spirits. If anything, it fuels him with even more desire to win that match and stand on the court with Kageyama.

Not even Tsukishima incessantly taunting Kageyama with all that ‘King of the Court’ crap during their match can put him down.

But then Hinata hears Kageyama admit, his voice quiet, “Tossing the ball, only to turn around and realise that there is no one behind me to spike it… it frightens me down to my very soul.”

The whole gym lapses into silence at this uncharacteristically vulnerable admission. Kageyama—prickly _“GRRRR!”_ Kageyama—admitting that he is scared of something? No one could have seen that coming.

Even so…

“But that's just a story about junior high, isn't it?” Hinata pipes up. “Since you toss the ball to me properly and all that, that stuff doesn't really matter to me. The only problem is how we’re gonna defeat this guy over here!” He points at Tsukishima, who’s, strangely, no longer smirking but now scowling. “We’re gonna beat Tsukishima and join the club properly, and then you’ll become the setter fair and square! Is there anything else to it?”

Kageyama’s expression is pinched, like he’s constipated or something. Hinata doesn't let that bother him, though; as long as they win, that’s all that matters.

It’s a long difficult struggle, but eventually Kageyama and Hinata (and Tanaka-san) emerge victorious. The most significant thing? Kageyama _tossed_ to him, and repeatedly too. He managed to hit Kageyama’s tosses and score points and _he's never felt this good before_. The rush that comes from a successful spike that blasts past the blockers and leaves everyone’s jaws hanging—it’s such a _“GWAH!”_ kind of feeling, you know?

After practice and visiting Store Sakanoshita for their usual post-practice snack, the team parts ways to head home. In the dying embers of dusk, it’s just Kageyama and Hinata walking along the quiet empty streets. The only sound is the constant friction of the wheels of Hinata’s bicycle rolling against the pavement.

Nerves knot in Hinata’s stomach. There are two main things on his mind: the more pressing one is, obviously, the match against Aoba Johsai—one of the top _four_ teams in the prefecture, and on which most of Kageyama's old teammates from junior high are. It will be the first time he’s playing an official practice match with a proper team of seasoned players and against a clearly polished team, if their ranking is anything to go by. The thought of that makes Hinata’s palms soak with cold sweat. He just managed to get some form of acknowledgement from Kageyama; he can't mess this up. He can't afford to, or Kageyama would never toss to him again.

The second thing on his mind is—well, his parents have spoken to him about The ‘Soulmates Talk’. According to them, soulmates usually acknowledge each other as, well, soulmates. Although he knows this issue isn't as pressing as the first one, it would help him take his mind off his nerves, even for a moment.

“Hey, so uh,” Hinata says tentatively, glancing up at Kageyama. He swallows. The whole issue regarding the fact that they are soulmates was pushed to the back of his mind in favour of focusing on improving for today’s game. But now that the adrenaline building up to the match has faded away, the soulmates issue returns to the forefront of his mind. As hard as he finds it to reconcile the fact that this mean, grumpy setter is his soulmate, he thinks it’s something they should do (or more specifically, it’s something his parents and Sugawara-san have liberally encouraged to him to do). “About the soulmates thing—”

Kageyama glares down at him. His hand holding a carton of milk tightens around it so much it’s quite a feat that milk doesn’t _gwoosh_ out. “What? _That's_ what you're thinking of, when we have a match against Aoba Johsai, one of the _top four_ teams in the prefecture?”

Hinata scowls. “I _know_ that, Stupid-yama. We just have to practise and practise some more and get stronger, right?”

“You say that like it’s so easy, like you're forgetting that they're among the top four—”

“And I already said I _know_ that, Deaf-yama! We practised a lot for today’s match and we won it, didn't we? So we just gotta do that again and beat Aoba Johsai.” Kageyama opens his mouth, as if about to argue again, so Hinata hurriedly steamrolls on. “Anyway, I know volleyball is obviously more important, but I think we should talk about the fact that we are soulmates too. Like, we’re soulmates _and_ teammates! How cool is that?”

Kageyama purses his lips. “I don't really care about this whole ‘soulmates’ thing. As long as you’re someone who can hit my sets, I’ll keep tossing to you, regardless of whatever. And—well…” He averts his gaze away from Hinata. Is it the trick of the darkness, or are the tips of his ears turning red? “And… at least you’re not Tsukishima,” he mutters, like he has to force himself to say it.

“ _Ehhh?_ ” Hinata screeches to a halt in his tracks. That… was a compliment? From _Grumpy-yama?_ “I'm not like Tsukishima?”

“Yes, that’s what I said, dumbass,” Kageyama barks, turning around with his trademark scowl painted on his face. “What are you doing, standing there and gawking at me like some dumbass, dumbass? Let’s go already.”

Not even being called a dumbass thrice in a row can dampen Hinata’s soaring spirit. With renewed vigour, he springs forward as fast as he can, towing his bicycle along. Once caught up with Kageyama, he tosses all caution to the wind and wraps his right arm around Kageyama’s left. His mother likes to do that to his father when they're having fun together, and right now Hinata is having lots of fun with Kageyama.

Even when Kageyama hits him and calls him a dumbass all the way up until a fork in the street where they part ways, Hinata’s smile remains on his face.

Going to Karasuno—what a wonderful decision it was, after all.

 

* * *

 

Time passes by them like a volleyball whooshing across the court. Before they realise it ( _if_ they even do), Kageyama and Hinata fall into a routine. They would spend most, if not all, of their lunch breaks together. A large chunk of their time would be spent practising volleyball—obviously, since they have the upcoming tournament to prepare for—and in the last five minutes, they would race to see who can scarf their food down faster before dashing back to class. Hinata is pleased to say that he has only been late three times, compared to Kageyama’s five times of tardiness. Kageyama insists that it’s because Hinata’s classroom is closer to the staircase. Hinata maintains that it’s just Kageyama who is slow.

Many interesting things have happened in the past week. After the practice match against Aoba Johsai, Karasuno’s very own Guardian Deity returns to the team, and Hinata decides that Nishinoya-senpai is the coolest thing to ever happen since volleyball was invented. And when someone as awesome as Nishinoya-senpai informs him that Karasuno has its very own Ace, there's no way Hinata won't find out for himself who the Ace is.

That is, until the Ace, Azumane Asahi-san, flat-out refuses to return to the team.

It disheartens Hinata to see how bothered Nishinoya-senpai gets whenever Ace-san is brought up—his usual toothy grin slips downwards, his bright eyes darken, and his entire posture slumps downwards. When Asahi-san is mentioned, Nishinoya’s demeanour for once actually fits his small stature.

“Eh, you and the Ace are soulmates?” Hinata exclaims, throwing his arms wide open in shock and nailing Kageyama right in the sternum.

“And what about it?” Nishinoya practically rips off the top half of his popsicle, like a tiger biting into the head of a rabbit.

As per their usual routine after practice, the team has headed to Store Sakanoshita for a post-training snack. While Daichi and Sugawara pay for their food, Kageyama and Hinata wait outside the store with the second-years. To fill the silence, Hinata has decided to interrogate Nishinoya-senpai more about the Ace—what he was like, how he attacked, how he prepared for a match. Somehow or another, his relationship with Nishinoya is brought up, which is how Hinata finds out that the team’s Guardian Deity and Ace are soulmates.

“Ehh, that's so cool!” Hinata exclaims. In his excitement, he forgets that Nishinoya’s mood tends to sour whenever the topic at hand centers around Asahi. “I thought Grumpy-yama and I were the only pair of soulmates on the team.”

“Not true,” Tanaka interjects, sounding oddly rushed. “I'm pretty sure Megane and Freckles are soulmates, even if they’ve never mentioned it. With the way Megane is, you'd have to have something like a soulmate bond to be able to put up with him. Ah, Daichi-san and Suga-san are soulmates too, though they usually try to keep it on the down-low.” He pauses. “ _Usually_. Ah, if only I could hear Kiyoko’s beautiful voice in my dreams…”

“Don't give up hope, Ryuu!” Nishinoya punches Tanaka’s chest lightly. “Maybe yours is just a late-bloomer.”

“A late-blooming soulmate bond,” Ennoshita deadpans.

Hinata pauses, trying to wrap his brain around this bit of information. It takes a while, given how complicatedly _“gyah”_ the concept of soulmates is, but he believes he gets it. “Ooh, so what's it like? Nishinoya-senpai’s soulmate bond with Asahi-san, I mean.”

Tanaka flinches, like Hinata just said something extremely taboo. He slaps a hand over Hinata’s mouth. “Hinata, there are some things you really shouldn't ask ‘cause they really should be kept private. Ah, Noya…” His other hand gently lands on Nishinoya’s shoulder, as if to restrain him.

Nishinoya brushes Tanaka’s hand off. “Shouyou, kid, listen to me very carefully, okay? You too, Kageyama.”

Hinata nods with great vigour, while Kageyama just lets out a curious grunt.

Nishinoya finishes off the rest of his popsicle before tossing the stick into a trash can and planting his hands on his hips. With the evening breeze sweeping his gelled-up spikes back, the Karasuno Boys’ VBC jacket that's draped over his shoulders fluttering behind him like a superhero cape and a deadly serious expression on his face, Hinata can't help but think that Nishinoya-senpai is so _“bwah!”_ in the best way possible, like he's about to bestow them the greatest wisdom he derived from ancient scriptures.

“Listen, being soulmates with someone does not mean _shit_.”

“Noya!” the other second-years chorus in unison, sounding scandalised.

“What's going on?” Daichi asks. He and Sugawara step out of the store, wearing matching confused expressions.

“Noya is scaring the innocent first-years about soulmates,” Ennoshita says bluntly.

Sugawara sighs. He gives Daichi a look that seems to say ‘let me deal with this’, then places a hand on Nishinoya’s shoulder in a rather motherly fashion. “Look, Noya, I know that it must have been difficult dealing with your falling out with Asahi—”

Once more, Nishinoya shrugs off the hand on his shoulder. “Yeah, which is why I’m gonna impart nuggets of wisdom to Shouyou and Kageyama so they don't make the same mistake.” He turns away from Sugawara and Daichi to face Kageyama and Hinata. “Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it—having a soulmate ain’t a smooth-sailing road. Despite the fates being all like, ‘Oh, you two are a perfect match’, there is no guarantee that your soulmate _will_ stay with you.” His hands ball into fists. “There is nothing, no force, no power in this world that can stop your soulmate from walking right out of the door. So don't lose each other. Whatever you do, hold on to each other, ‘cause there is no replacement for a soulmate lost.”  

The sound of the leaves rustling in the wind suddenly becomes ten times louder. Everywhere Hinata looks, all his senpai are either looking at the ground, staring holes into their food, or just looking at anywhere except for Nishinoya.

Hinata watches Nishinoya’s face. Under the yellowish-glow of the streetlamp, the new watery brightness in his eyes is awfully prominent. His expression—pinched, twisted, his lips trembling—is so anguished Hinata wonders how long the pain must have been eating him alive.

At last, Daichi clears his throat, cutting into the nearly-palpable awkward silence. “Let’s head on home, shall we? It has been a long day for everyone, I'm sure.”

Slowly, as they make their way down the street, members of the team trickle away, taking different turns, stopping at bus stops, dashing across fields. Finally, it’s just Kageyama and Hinata left at the fork in the road.

Nishinoya-senpai’s words still ring in Hinata’s mind, but he forces a smile on his face as he turns to Kageyama. “Well then, I’ll beat you to practice tomorrow— _eep!_ ”

Out of nowhere, Kageyama’s hand lands on Hinata’s hair in an iron grip. “You're still thinking about what Nishinoya-san said, didn't you?” When Hinata timidly nods, Kageyama huffs. “Forget it. Look, as long as you're the one who can hit my quick sets, and I'm the one who can bring out your full potential as a spiker, there’s no reason why what happened between Nishinoya-san and Azumane-san would happen to us. Just keep calling for the toss and jumping for the ball like you always do.”

Hinata nods empathetically. That's right; he and Kageyama are different. Hitting Kageyama’s crazy quick sets fills him with warm, exhilarating feelings of _“bwah!_ ” that he just _knows_ for sure no one else in the universe has ever felt before. He and Kageyama always work together in sync, bringing out that _“bwah!_ ” like nobody else does—there is nothing that can change that. He has utter faith in Kageyama and his tosses.

(But what if somehow, some way, Hinata loses Kageyama? What, then, would he do?)

 

* * *

 

When Asahi-san returns, it is all Hinata can do not to gawk. And when he witnesses Karasuno’s Ace in action for the first time, he feels like he has been blown away with the blockers. Standing at an impressive height of 184 cm and boasting of a broad, muscular stature, Azumane Asahi truly is the picture of an Ace.

Hinata has been practising volleyball pretty much nonstop ever since his devastating loss at Kageyama’s hands last year, yet Asahi—who hasn't touched a volleyball in over a month—is on a whole other _plane_ of existence in terms of volleyball skill and prowess.

 _Well, it makes sense,_ he thinks to himself, an acidic bubble forming in his chest. Asahi is tall and strong; it makes sense why he would be the Ace, even after being inactive for a month. And what is Hinata in comparison? He's just a _decoy._ Not a real attacker. How lame must that sound in comparison to super cool nicknames like ‘Guardian Deity’ and ‘Ace’?

Maybe volleyball truly is a sport for the tall and strong. Even the Little Giant, who was considered short, is still taller than Hinata.

So preoccupied with his self-loathing thoughts, he forgets where he is until a volleyball comes flying out of nowhere and slams straight into his face, blasting him off his feet. Pain explodes across his forehead, as well as his butt where he lands on.

“Oww,” he whimpers, clutching the sore patch on his forehead.

Various cries of his name echo around the gym as his teammates hurry to his side.

“Oh no!” Asahi cries out. He falls to his knees beside Hinata, his face ashen and his entire body quivering like a frightened bunny. “Are you okay? I'm so sorry—I shouldn't have aimed at you. I should've used less power. I—”

“Ah, he's alive,” Nishinoya says matter-of-factly, peering closely at Hinata’s face. Even though he and Asahi are on either side of Hinata, they still refuse to look at each other.

Tsukishima lets out a low huff somewhere behind the mass of teammates crowded around Hinata. “Any way you look at it, it’s his fault for spacing out like an idiot in the middle of a game.”

Hinata shuts his eyes, letting the last of the pain ebb away before sitting up. He opens his eyes again and smiles at his teammates. Even though he doesn't like worrying them, it’s nice to be fussed over. “I'm okay! Sorry about that.” He sees that Asahi is still pale, so he hurries to add, “I—I really am fine! I just wasn't able to dodge it in time. It’s not a big deal. Besides, I'm kinda already used to getting hit in the face with the ball…” He winces, thinking of the practice match against Aoba Johsai.

“Hinata, I don't think that's something you should be getting used to,” Sugawara tuts, all motherly-like.

Unfortunately, the gentle atmosphere is immediately dampened when Kageyama steps into view. The aura radiating off him and the deadly glare on his face is so malevolent Hinata is willing to bet the grass outside is wilting.

“What—” Kageyama’s voice dips into a low, menacing growl. He takes a step closer to Hinata, and Hinata springs back, his arms instinctively flying up in a defensive stance. “—were you doing, spacing out in the middle of a match, dumbass?”

“Ah, um, it’s just—it’s not that I…” Hinata shuffles back several steps.

_Crap, he isn't even yelling at me. He must seriously be pissed. It’s like that time I hit the back of his head with my serve…_

“I know what you're thinking,” Kageyama cuts in brusquely. “‘An Ace is really cool, but I'm just a lame and plain decoy. If I had power and height like Azumane-san, I could become an Ace.’”

Hinata grits his teeth. How is it that stupid Kageyama—who can't read the room, who was once called the ‘King of the Court’ for being bossy and mean to his teammates, who scares girls and stray cats away just by looking at them—can tell what is on Hinata’s mind? Is is their soulmate bond? Does it work even if Kageyama hasn't really acknowledged it?

“I—that’s not what I'm thinking about at all!” he shouts. Maybe if he says it loud enough, he would sound convincing.

“But you know that there’s an Ace here, so aside from being interested in him and looking up to him—” Kageyama’s dark eyes seem to pierce right through Hinata. “—you’re also jealous of him, aren't you?”

Hinata freezes. “What—it’s not… I'm not—”

But Kageyama doesn't stop there. “During a game, there is no time to be thinking of stupid unnecessary things like this. Every second wasted is a potential point lost. Get your head in the game, or don't play the game at all.”

White-hot rage shoots through Hinata. His hands ball into fists, and he yells, “And what’s wrong with being jealous? Someone like you, who’s always been tall and strong, wouldn't understand at all!”

Belatedly, Hinata realises what he just did.

_Oh shit, I just shouted at Kageyama. Now I'm really in for it…_

The murderous intent emitting from Kageyama’s glower further exacerbates the fear coursing through Hinata.

However, Kageyama doesn't retaliate. He stalks off somewhere, so Hinata takes that as his cue to return to his spot on the court. Everyone else follows suit.

In no time, the match resumes, though Hinata doesn't miss the way everyone else seems to be resolutely looking away from him and Kageyama. With everyone also avoiding looking at Asahi and Nishinoya for obvious reasons (the two have refused to talk or even meet each other’s eyes despite playing on the same team), there really aren't many spots to look at in the gym that's not the ball.

“Um,” Hinata hears Kageyama call over from somewhere behind him. He turns around and spots Kageyama at the net, addressing one of the guys from the neighbourhood association team. “My next toss will be to him.” Kageyama points at Hinata, and Hinata’s entire body freezes. “Please try to block him with everything you’ve got.”

Hinata can only watch in shock as Takinoue-san laughs and accepts Kageyama’s ‘provocation’. Panic tightens his chest, making it feel like no matter how much or deeply he breathes, there is never enough air in his lungs. What… what the heck is Bakageyama thinking? Is he even thinking? Why would he tell their opponents what their next move will be? Now there is no way Hinata is going to be able to make it past the blockers. Dammit, he was already at a disadvantage because of his height, and now with the element of surprise tossed out of the window like it meant _nothing,_ how is he going to—

“Right now,” Kageyama barks, cutting right through Hinata’s maelstrom of panic, “you’re just a novice player with a bit of jumping power and agility. There is no way you can become the team’s mainstay Ace.”

Hinata flinches. Honestly, it would have hurt much less if Kageyama just punched him like he normally does when he’s pissed.

“Hold—hold on,” Asahi stammers, while Tanaka growls, “Oi, watch what you're saying to Hinata.”

“But!” Kageyama interjects. Now on his face, instead of his previous death glare, is an expression of determination. The fluorescent white pouring down from the overhead gym lights looks like some sort of heavenly glow, illuminating his entire frame. “As long as I'm here, you are invincible! Azumane-san’s spike is amazingly powerful and can even break through three blockers. What about you? When I toss the ball to you, has there ever been a time you've been blocked?”

All Hinata can do is gape. That’s right—even if people call him ‘chibi’, weak, a loser at volleyball, he has never failed when flying to meet Kageyama’s toss. Kageyama’s sets are impeccable, perfect, and they are what gives Hinata the strength to go up against the scariest of opponents head-on.

Kageyama grabs the top of Hinata’s head and roughly ruffles his hair. “Just keep running and jumping like you always do—leave everything else to me. Now go.” He shoves Hinata back to his position and takes his own spot by the net.

Shimada-san serves the ball, which Ennoshita swiftly receives and sends to Kageyama. Hinata eyes the three tall and intimidating blockers waiting for him at the right side of the court behind the net. A lump forms in his throat, but he forces it down.

_What should I do? Think, Shouyou, think…_

As if reading Hinata’s mind, Kageyama yells, “Dodge! That's the only thing you can do, dumbass!”

Not pausing to even think, Hinata darts to the left, where there is an empty spot. But the blockers persist, chasing after him. Dammit, even with his speed they still have longer legs than him, so the distance between them closes rapidly.

Hinata hunches down, prepared to jump—but then the blockers materialise right in front of him, forming a looming wall over him.

Just then, Kageyama’s words echo in his mind.

_If you're not able to get through…_

“Dodge,” Hinata whispers.

Using the momentum from his jump, he twists around mid-air, landing and bolting to the other side.

_I can't fight in the air like Asahi-san or the Little Giant can… but as long as Kageyama is here…_

He shuts his eyes, leaps, and the ball touches his hand for the briefest split second before he slams it down with everything he has. The ball hits Shimada-san’s outstretched arms with a harsh _thwack,_ but it bounces right off and hurtles out of the court.

_I am invincible._

“Don't you see?” Kageyama demands, grabbing Hinata’s shoulder and turning him around so their eyes meet. Kageyama’s eyes are blazing, and something in Hinata’s heart stirs in response. “You are not the Ace, but with your speed and reflexes and my toss, you can overcome any block! The point scored by the Ace blasting through three blockers and the point you scored by dodging them and striking—they are of equal value. A point is a point, whether it’s scored by the Ace or by the decoy. Even without a grand title like ‘Ace’, you still rack up more points than anyone else— _that's_ exactly why opponents mark you. The other spikers can move and attack freely thanks to you being a decoy, and that includes the Ace.” He turns to their other teammates, who are watching the scene unfold in what seems to be awed silence. “Right?!”

Tanaka blinks in surprise. “Huh? Oh yeah, that's right. With you acting as our decoy, the success rate of our attacks is completely different from what it was before you joined the team. We couldn't have done it without you, kid.”

 _Really?_ Hinata wonders, silent with wonderment. Has… has he really made such a valuable contribution to the team after all?

“Despite all that, do you still think your current role as the decoy is lame?” Kageyama demands. He pants heavily, like the passionate tirade he just went on is more taxing than running around and tossing volleyballs for at least half an hour.

Images run through Hinata’s mind: the first time Kageyama acknowledged him as a player and tossed the ball to him, making him soar to the top of the world; the sight of the blockers left behind in dust after he dodges them and scores a point; the burst of _“gwah!”_ feelings when the ball Kageyama tossed to him lands on the opposite side of the court with a resolute _thud._

If he was at the top of the world the first time Kageyama tossed to him, now he feels like he is at the very peak of the galaxy.

He looks at his red, calloused hands, tears blurring his vision. “I don't!” he shouts at the top of his lungs. This feeling of being an asset to the team, of being _invincible_ because Kageyama, his soulmate and setter, told him he was—he wants the whole world to hear it. “I don't think that way at all!”

Kageyama nods and ruffles Hinata’s hair. “Good. Let’s get another one, shall we?”

 

* * *

 

The game ends with the neighbourhood association team winning. Despite the loss, Hinata’s spirits are still soaring high above the clouds.

It seems like Hinata isn't the only one in high spirits. After a debrief from their new coach, he spots Nishinoya approach Asahi. He watches, curious, as they both talk in what seems to be a serious manner, before Nishinoya’s face breaks into a blinding beam and he pounces on Asahi, kissing him ferociously like the world is burning down around them. Hinata’s eyes go round as saucers, someone chokes on their water, and Coach Ukai lets out several scandalised splutters.

Nishinoya and Asahi are assigned extra cleaning duty as punishment for their ‘inappropriate behaviour’ (“I don't care what you wild hormonal teens do behind closed doors, but for the love of god, _not_ in front of me and your teacher,” Ukai grumbles before heading out, probably for a smoke), so the rest of the team are free to leave.

As usual, Kageyama and Hinata walk side by side, Kageyama drinking out of his milk carton and Hinata pushing his bicycle along. Normally, Hinata is not one for silence, but he’s currently preoccupied—the mental image of Asahi lifting Nishinoya up and kissing passionately like people do in movies is interspersed with Kageyama’s words echoing through his mind.

_As long as I'm here, you are invincible._

And that's when the realisation hits Hinata like a volleyball to the face—maybe _this_ is why he and Kageyama are soulmates. Even though Kageyama is an idiot who can't read the room or smile properly or speak without calling someone a dumbass, he can read Hinata the way he is able to read the situation on the court—perfectly, like every detail, visible as well as hidden, is laid bare before his eyes. Not only that, he also knows exactly what to say to lift Hinata up and _make_ him invincible. And this is from a guy who stammers nonsense about being allergic to gift cards when smitten girls ask him if he can recognise their voices.

Hinata can't help but stare up at Kageyama in awe. For someone so dumb and mean, Kageyama can be absolutely brilliant at times like these, especially when Hinata needs him.

“What are you looking at me for, dumbass?” Kageyama demands, scowling down at Hinata.

“We’re soulmates, right?” Hinata asks abruptly.

“Huh? Where did this come from?”

“And Asahi-san and Nishinoya-senpai are soulmates. Don't you—I mean, do you think maybe we should—”

“What's your point?” Kageyama bristles. “Don't waste my time. I want to go home.”

Hinata stops in his tracks, clenches his fists and cries out, “Kiss! Like—like Asahi-san and Nishinoya-senpai did?”

“Wha—what? Why would you even—where did this come— _kissing,_ ” Kageyama splutters.

Hinata’s heart drums rapidly against his chest. Blanketed in the darkness of dusk, with the only light source being the faint orange glow from the streetlamp, it feels rather much like the rest of the world has faded away, leaving just him and Kageyama standing in this heartbeat of time.

“Dumbass,” Kageyama growls, promptly ruining the atmosphere. But his cheeks are tinted red—this much is obvious even in the low light. “You don't have to force yourself just because you saw other people doing it.”

“But—but what if I _want_ to?”

Kageyama regards him with obvious skepticism. “You want to what? Kiss me?”

Hinata squirms, but he nods anyway. “Yeah, duh! We’re soulmates, after all.”

An unreadable expression crosses Kageyama’s face for the briefest of moments, before he leans down and swiftly captures Hinata’s lips in a surprisingly gentle kiss. Hinata gasps, but quicker than he can react Kageyama draws away.

“I don't really care about this—this _you-know-what_ thing,” Kageyama grunts, averting his gaze from Hinata. He doesn't add anything else on, but if there is anyone who is gradually coming to understand everything Kageyama doesn't say, it’s Hinata.

_But I kissed you because I wanted to._

Hinata grabs Kageyama’s arm, pulling him closer. “One more.”

“Dumbass. I want to go home.” Kageyama huffs out an aggrieved sigh.

But he indulges Hinata with another kiss anyway, and another, and another. His arms, strong and toned from playing volleyball for years, draw Hinata closer with each kiss, and it’s all Hinata can do to cling to him and keep him locked in this kiss.

At the fork in the road where they usually go in opposite directions, they stay right in the middle, holding and kissing each other for several heartbeats in their very own fragment of frozen time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case you were wondering, there is an [asanoya one-shot](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16702717) (THAT one is a one-shot for sure) that expands more on what happened between asahi and noya that was briefly mentioned in this fic—go check it out if you wanna :D
> 
> the next 2 chapters should be up soon, depending on when my betas finish reading through them. thanks for reading!


	2. i bloom (just for you)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the title of this chapter is taken from ['Bloom' by Troye Sivan.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41PTANtZFW0)

Even it being the morning of the first Interhigh Preliminaries match doesn't stop Kageyama from racing to beat Hinata to the gym. He bolts past Hinata, leaving him behind in a satisfying puff of dust. It doesn't take Hinata long before he catches up, though. The pounding of his feet against the ground alerts Kageyama to the shrinking distance between them (damn Hinata and his ridiculous speed), so he pushes himself harder. Satisfaction bursts in him when he ends up being the first to arrive in front of the building.

“Ha…” Kageyama pants. He bends forward to rest his hands on his knees, and his lungs burn from the early-morning exertion. The fact that he’s so winded now speaks volumes of how truly one-of-a-kind Hinata is—Kageyama’s stamina has been carefully and meticulously built up to be able to last three long sets of volleyball, so for Hinata to be able to get him bending over and wheezing—he really is some kind of monster. “With this, I have thirty-one wins, thirty losses, and one draw.”

Hinata pushes himself up off the floor into a sitting position, wearing an odd expression. “No… you're wrong.”

“Like hell I am!” Kageyama snaps, ticked off. “That was my come-from-behind win, dumbass.”

“No, it’s not like that. I have thirty wins… and thirty _-two_ losses.”

Kageyama stares down at Hinata, baffled. Where did that extra race come from?

“I lost to you right around this time last year. It was a devastating defeat.” Hinata rises to his feet and turns to face Kageyama. A wild, unstoppable inferno blazes in his previously downcast eyes, and all Kageyama can do is stare, utterly entranced by the dancing flames. “If you're the reigning King of the Court, I’ll overthrow you from that title and be the one standing on the court the longest. I will definitely be the one to beat you—whether it’s ten or twenty years from now, however long it takes, I _will_ defeat you.”

When it comes to volleyball, it doesn't take Kageyama long to figure out what Hinata is trying to get at. He crosses his arms and regards Hinata skeptically. “In other words, you're saying you plan to stand on the same stage as me in the future?”

Hinata nods fervently. “That's right!”

“Whether it’s at the top of Japan or even the top of the _world?_ ”

Hinata’s eyes widen for a moment, but he nods again. “Of—of course! We’re soulmates, aren't we? It’s our fate to stand on the same stage.”

“Dumbass.” Kageyama’s hand shoots out and snatches the top of Hinata’s head in a vice grip. “We’re setter and spiker first, then that whole soul—whatever thing second.” He squeezes Hinata’s head roughly. “And quit calling me ‘King’, dammit!”

“Okay, okay, I get it! Grumpy-yama!”

Even then, on the bus to the stadium, Kageyama replays their exchange over and over again. He carefully etches the pictures of Hinata’s wide-eyed look and his determined nods into his mind. It is a promise to stand on the same stage together, forever. Normally, he doesn't take all this ‘forever’ crap seriously, for reasons even he can't remember.

But for Hinata and the sake of playing volleyball together, he makes an exception.

 

* * *

 

The Interhigh Preliminaries go by like a volleyball whooshing across the court, only to land with a pathetic _thud_ outside the boundary.

The rage, guilt and soreness from the loss to Aoba Johsai have been eating away at Kageyama for the past twenty-four hours. Replaying the entire match over and over again, analysing every action, and thinking about what he could have done better kept him up all night. As a result, he arrived at school this morning with such heavy eyebags and red eyes none of his classmates dared to look at him.

But seeing Hinata and running around the gym, screaming and hitting volleyballs over and over again does help to soothe the pain somewhat. It’s not completely gone, but it’s an ache that has become easier to not notice. There is just something about being with Hinata that makes things easier to deal with; maybe it’s their suffering in solidarity… or maybe it’s just Hinata and the way he lights up the place wherever he is, even if he too is downtrodden from yesterday’s crushing defeat.

The third-years returning to the team despite having college entrance exams to prepare for, as well as everyone else trickling in to practice even though it was technically called off, fills Kageyama with a newfound drive. It doesn't take long before even Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei show up too, and then practice is officially called into session.

During the break, Kageyama notices Hinata trotting to the door with his water bottle in hand. He watches as Hinata sits down at the step and raises his bottle to his lips, taking a long swig as an unusually pensive look crosses his face like a grey cloud on an otherwise sunny day.

 _He's probably still thinking about it,_ Kageyama realises. It makes sense—Hinata is the type to feel things deeply and strive to do his very best in whatever circumstances, so when even his best is not enough to cinch victory, obviously he would spiral into self-loathing like Kageyama has witnessed several times before. This won't do. The last thing the team needs is for Hinata to spiral, affecting his focus on the game. Hence, Kageyama peels himself away from the wall where he was watching Hinata and joins him at the door.

Hinata doesn't greet him. His eyes focus on somewhere far away—perhaps a pinnacle in the distance he wants to grasp but can't quite reach yet. Kageyama glances in the direction Hinata is staring intently at, then returns his focus back to Hinata. Somehow, he gets the feeling that there is something Hinata wants to say but is still trying to find the words for, so he waits.

“Next time,” Hinata says, his voice oddly hushed. He clears his throat, and this time his voice comes out stronger. “Next time, we’ll win. We’ll keep working harder, so that we can win together next time and stand on the same stage—the one at the top of the world.”

There is no need for any additional input from Kageyama, not when Hinata has laid their plans down so clearly before them. He merely nods and grunts out a “Yeah”.

The pensive look on Hinata’s face ebbs away, replaced by a smile that chases the dark clouds away. He springs to his feet, lets out a cheer and grabs Kageyama’s hand. For a moment, their eyes meet. Hinata’s smile must be infectious, as Kageyama can feel one spread across his face too. Hand in hand, they head back to the gym.

It’s time to train.

 

* * *

 

The good news: Karasuno has been invited to a training camp in Tokyo, which means getting to train with powerhouse schools. After their devastating loss to Aoba Johsai, this is exactly what they need to help them find their wings and soar.

The bad news: they need to pass their final exams. And that is bad news because… well, the odds aren't looking so good for a third of the team, and this includes Kageyama.

Trying to literally run away from inevitable doom doesn't work out for them. Hence, he and Hinata have enlisted their new manager, Yachi-san, to help them pass their exams after the two of them agreed that Tsukishima’s ‘help’, while certainly useful, was far too aggravating.

Normally, the three of them either study in school or in Yachi’s apartment. However, as there are repairmen in Yachi’s home fixing her bathroom and she's terrified of being in the apartment with them, they have decided to shift base to Hinata’s home instead.

This is the first time Kageyama has been to Hinata’s home, and he has to admit it feels rather much like a… well, a home. The living room is wide and spacious, with a low table in the center of the room surrounded by an assortment of rugs, bean bags and sofas. Sunlight streams in through the glass door leading to the backyard, basking the room in a warm glow.

Just as the three of them are about to settle down around the table, a tiny mass of curly red hair bolts down the stairs, zooms across the oak floor and flings itself at Hinata.

“Nii-chan!” the redheaded mass squeals. “Quick, what's today’s password?”

Kageyama and Yachi stare, bewildered, while Hinata catches the mass and twirls it around, like this is routine for him.

“Gwah, zam, bam-a-lam!” Hinata recites as he puts the mass back down on the ground. “Did I get it right, Natsu?”

The mass—a little girl who is practically the spitting image of Hinata—nods exuberantly. “That's right!” She pauses, as if just noticing the two other people in the room with her and her brother. “Nii-chan, that's Tobio-chan right? Your soulmate?”

“Eh?” Kageyama exclaims, feeling his entire face and neck go red, while Yachi stifles a giggle behind her hand. How in the world does this little girl know what his given name is?

“Natsu, that's not—I mean he is, but that's not how we greet people,” Hinata chides, though his stammering gives away that he too is flustered. “And that's Yachi-san. Say hello to Yachi-san and _Kageyama-san._ ”

Natsu bows her head, eliciting an adoring coo from Yachi. “Hello, Yachi-san, Ka-ge-ya-ma-san. I'm Natsu! Ka-ge-ya—” She shakes her head, as if Kageyama’s name is getting too long to pronounce. “Tobio-chan, nii-chan talks a lot about you, you know?”

“Do—does he?” Kageyama wonders what ridiculous lies about him Hinata has been telling his little sister.

Natsu nods vigorously. The resemblance between the two siblings truly is uncanny. “That's right! He says that your tosses are perfect, and that you're the only person who can toss the ball to him, and that he thinks you are perf—”

“Natsu!” Hinata cuts in hastily. “Don't you have homework to do? We need to do homework too—we have exams coming up and all that—so can you please go back to your room? You can talk more with Yachi-san and _Kageyama-san_ later during dinner.”

Natsu whines but acquiesces. Sulkily, she patters back up the stairs to her room.

“Ehh, dinner?” Yachi exclaims, her eyes wide. “But I wouldn't want to impose on your family’s time together. Plus, it would be extra work for your parents to have to cook for more people, wouldn't it?”

Kageyama nods in agreement. When he agreed to go to Hinata’s house for a study session, he wasn't anticipating _staying over for dinner._ His stomach churns. He has never been good with meeting new people, and the fact that the people he is going to meet are _Hinata’s parents_ makes it worse.

“Don't sweat it! I owe you one, Yachi-san, for helping me and Kageyama with English. And Kageyama,” Hinata adds, turning to face Kageyama. His eyes are wide and hopeful, rather much like a puppy’s. “My parents _really_ want to meet you. They've been bugging me non-stop ever since I told them I’ve met my soulmate—”

“You _told_ your parents that?” Kageyama demands, his other concerns forgotten.

Hinata merely blinks at him. “ _Duh_. Meeting your soulmate, even if he's an idiot who refuses to acknowledge it, is a big deal, Bakageyama. Didn't you?”

“But if your parents want to meet Kageyama-kun specifically, then all the more I shouldn’t stay for dinner, right?” Yachi asks, effectively saving Kageyama from having to reply.

“It’s fine! You're my friend, Yachi-san—I’m sure my parents won't mind.”

A tiny, abashed smile appears on Yachi’s face. “Oh, okay, if you say so. Shall we get started, then?”

The two boys nod. They settle down around the table, pulling out their notebooks and worksheets from their bags.

Despite Yachi’s encouraging tone and her neat notes, complete with highlights and cute little boxes and tables, Kageyama finds that his last two brain cells are constantly drifting in and out of attention. One moment his small coalition of neurons would be trying to process conjunctive adverbs; the next, his mind would be totally blank.

Well, not totally. In the otherwise empty abyss that is Kageyama’s brain, one word—dusty and long-forgotten—keeps circling around: soulmates. Soulmates, soulmates, soulmates. It seems to be all people like to talk about these days, but he himself can't bring himself to care—he doesn't even remember _why_ he doesn't care—until Hinata dropped the whole ‘parents’ bomb on him. Now, somehow, things have become all too _real_ for him. He has been all too content to keep their relationship as setter and spiker (with occasional kisses tossed in there, but not because of this stupid ‘soulmates’ thing, but simply because he just _wants_ to) and not think about their _other_ bond. Faced with this new looming prospect, he finds that he doesn't quite know what to do.

 _If this was just volleyball, this would be so much easier to deal with,_ he grumbles. _I never cared before, so why do I care now?_

So caught up in his train of thought, he doesn't realise how long he has been spacing out until a hand is waved right in front of his face.

“Kageyama-kun, are you okay?” Yachi asks worriedly. Her pen hovers over his far emptier notebook, like she was about to write something when she noticed Kageyama’s final brain cell wasn't in the same plane of existence as the rest of them.

“Yeah, what's wrong with you?” Hinata chimes in. “If you keep spacing out like that, I'm gonna beat you at the exam.”

Kageyama snorts. He has seen Hinata’s grades, and they are nothing to brag about. “Yeah, dream on, dumbass.”

“I guess you must be tired,” Yachi says. “We’ve been at it for nearly three hours, after all. Ah, it’s my bad! I should have suggested a break earlier, I should have noticed you were getting tired earlier—I’m sorry!”

“Huh? Oh no, it’s fine.” It _is_ Kageyama’s fault for not paying attention, after all.

Just then, there’s the sound of footsteps coming from outside. Hinata perks up.

“Oh, my parents are back!” he exclaims. Even after three hours of non-stop studying, he still somehow musters the energy to bounce to his feet and dash to the door to greet his parents.

At once, the panic slowly building up in Kageyama’s gut the past few hours threatens to overtake him. The only thing keeping him seated on the floor is sheer pride. He is _not_ going to run away like some coward in front of Hinata.

“Kageyama-kun, you must be feeling nervous,” Yachi says soothingly. “This is your first time meeting Hinata-kun’s parents, right?”

Kageyama nods mutely. He doesn't trust himself to speak.

“It must be very sudden then, since you didn't get a chance to prepare.” Her voice is soft and sympathetic. Just listening to her talk helps to calm Kageyama’s frayed nerves. “I know how it feels. Kiyoko-san and I have been making plans to meet each other’s parents, and just the thought of meeting hers—” She shakes her head, abruptly cutting herself off mid-sentence. “No, sorry, this is about you, not me. Anyway, you're going to be fine, Kageyama-kun. You are an important part of Hinata-kun’s life, and I'm sure his parents will recognise and accept that. Plus, I—I’ll be here with you! There isn't much I can do, other than give you silent moral support, though…”

“It’s fine,” Kageyama mutters. Simply knowing Yachi-san is here too and that she understands how he's feeling is enough for him. “Uh, thanks.” He gives her a brief, awkward nod, hoping it suffices.

She smiles at him, but the smile fades when she spots something behind him. “Brace yourself—they're walking into the house…”

As if on cue, Hinata and his parents materialise in the living room. What strikes Kageyama the most about Hinata’s parents is that they are so… _normal._ Hinata’s father looks part-European, if his pale skin and curly red hair are anything to go by, while his mother is a petite Japanese woman with cropped dark hair and Hinata’s big brown eyes.

“You must be Kageyama-kun,” Hinata’s mother greets Kageyama with a warm smile. Behind her, Hinata’s father offers him a silent nod and a wave of his hand. “I’ve been _dying_ to meet you, dear. My, you really are tall, aren't you? Just like my son told me you are.”

“Moooom!” Hinata whines, his face pink.

 _That dumbass told his parents that I'm… tall?_ Kageyama isn't quite sure what to make of this information. He also isn't sure how exactly to reply to that, so he just nods and hope it doesn't look as stiff as it feels.

“And you must be Yachi-san.” Hinata’s mother sweeps over to greet Yachi, whose entire body has gone stock still. “Shouyou has told me a great deal about you, too. He says you’re really intelligent and artistic. I'm surprised you're not the one who is his soulmate, though.”

“Kaori, dear,” Hinata’s father says sharply. There is a slight British accent in his baritone, though his Japanese is otherwise clear.

“Yeah, don't mind my mom!” Hinata rushes to interject, waving his hands frantically. “She just says whatever is on her mind without really thinking twice. Please don't take any offense, Yachi-san!”

“Oh, um, it’s fine,” Yachi reassures him. “I’ve already met my soulmate, Hinata-san. Hinata-kun is a very dear friend of mine, though!”

Hinata’s mother waves her hand. “I know, I know. I wasn't implying that Shouyou having a boy for a soulmate isn't okay, or I wouldn't have wanted to meet Kageyama-kun. Anyway,” she adds, lifting a plastic bag for everyone to see, “who wants dinner?”

 

* * *

 

Dinner—which consists of rice, salmon, salad and green tea—is delicious. The warmth of food cooked by a mother hits Kageyama in the gut; usually, his dinner is something simple he makes for himself, given the long hours _his_ mother has to work to be able to support the both of them on her own. He's glad that Hinata has someone at home to prepare nutritious meals for him—he needs all the nutrition he can get to keep his volleyball performance up.

Kageyama tries to use the food as an excuse not to talk, but this tactic fails quite miserably. He is asked about his family (“Um, just me and my mother”), why he started playing volleyball (he doesn't remember, though he gets the vague sense that it is related to his father), and his grades (Yachi hastily jumps in to save him from losing too much face). With each question, his desire to go home increases, but his eyes meet Hinata’s halfway during the conversation, and he decides he isn't going to wimp out in front of Hinata.

At some point during their interrogation of him, Hinata’s parents have taken to calling him ‘Tobio-kun’ (even if he takes offense he doesn't see that he's any position to protest). In return, he has to call them by their given names too—“You're Shouyou’s soulmate, which makes us family” is Kaori-san’s justification for the sudden change in formality. The look and shrug Kenta-san sends his way across the table tells him to just roll with it.

Yachi, Natsu and Hinata’s presences at dinner help Kageyama with his awkwardness. Hinata is talkative enough to hold a conversation entirely on his own, and while Yachi doesn't the same natural charisma as Hinata, her gentle empathy alerts her to Kageyama’s discomfort and she will quickly swoop in to change the topic, or at least divert the attention away from him. Inevitably, Kaori-san’s attention (and thus, interrogation) will return to Kageyama, but he appreciates Yachi’s efforts anyway. As for Natsu, she is a typical seven-year-old, so at any given moment she would try to steer the topic of conversation to be about her, providing much-needed distractions when even Yachi can't save him.

After dinner, mochi is served for dessert. Kageyama is thankful for when Hinata’s parents as well as Hinata disappear into the kitchen to wash the dishes after quickly polishing off their mochi. Finally, he can breathe a little easier now that his interrogation is over and he can enjoy his mochi in peace. Even the ever-so chatty Natsu seems to have worn herself out. She has her little hands wrapped around Kageyama’s bicep, her head pressed against his shoulder, and Kageyama gets the strange sense that he should absolutely not move and disturb her peace. Yachi watches them with a small smile on her face. When Natsu starts to let out soft snores, Yachi giggles, pressing a hand against her mouth to muffle the sounds.

“Hm?” Kageyama grunts. He doesn't see what is so amusing about a little girl falling asleep against him.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Yachi says, still smiling. “It’s just really adorable, that's all. I wonder what Hinata-kun would say if he saw this.”

Kageyama shrugs his left shoulder. Hinata would probably find some weird way to insult him, and he would call Hinata a dumbass in return

Silence lapses in the room. Only the sounds of chewing and snoring, as well as water running and clanking of dishes from the kitchen, punctuate the otherwise peaceful ambiance.

Until it’s broken by Kaori-san (Kageyama is starting to see where the Hinata siblings get their chattiness from).

“Shouyou, how does Tobio-kun make you feel?”

Kageyama freezes in place, and Yachi’s eyes widen. Is this the moment where Kageyama’s fate gets decided? If he hasn't met all of Kaori-san’s expectations, will he be asked to leave Hinata’s life? Dammit, he has never cared much about things that aren't related to volleyball—except this time, this concerns Hinata. He doesn't care about their bond, but he doesn't want to lose Hinata.

“How—how Kageyama makes me feel?” Hinata stammers. Kageyama wishes he could see Hinata’s expression, except the kitchen is tucked away in a corner out of his immediate peripheral vision.

“Yes, that is what I asked.”

“Well…” There is a small, uncharacteristic pause from Hinata. “He makes me feel really… really… _bwah,_ you know?”

 _‘Bwah’?_ Kageyama glances at Yachi, who just shrugs helplessly at him.

“Like,” Hinata continues, “he's stupid, and he likes to pick fights with me, but he understands me like _zam!_ I don't even have to say anything, ‘cause he just _gets_ me, somehow. And his tosses are perfect—like the ball goes _whoosh_ straight into my hand and I _wham_ it across the court. I’ll never tell him this, but he's a genius at volleyball and he makes me feel like I can do anything when he's the one tossing to me.”

Kageyama sits there, still frozen in shock. This is the impact he has had on Hinata? A lot of the stuff he said to Hinata, like the part about making him ‘invincible’, was just pulled out of his ass because he needed some way to get Hinata fired up for the game. While he has near-absolute faith in his ability to make Hinata invincible, he never would have guessed his words would have made such a deep imprint on Hinata.

“Hinata-kun sounds really happy, doesn't he?” Yachi muses. “Meeting you must have had a great impact on him, if he sounds this happy talking about you to his parents. I wonder what Kiyoko-san has told her parents about me…” She shakes her head, panic crossing her face. “Ah, I did it again! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make this about me.”

“It’s fine.” Kageyama doesn't mind; he doesn't particularly like talking about himself, anyway.

“Hinata-kun really means a lot to you, doesn't he, Kageyama-kun? Even though you two bicker a lot, you still go everywhere with him. And, um, I don't know if you've realised it, but you kinda have this—like, expression on your face when you're looking at him.”

“Huh? What expression?” he asks blankly. It can't be a smile—Hinata is always telling him about how terrifying he looks when attempting to smile.

Yachi waves her hands vaguely. “It’s like—not exactly a _smile,_ per se. But your entire expression softens, and your body language becomes more relaxed, more open.”

Kageyama averts his gaze, embarrassment heating up his face. “I never realised.”

“Yeah,” Yachi giggles, “sometimes when you're in love you don't realise these things you do.”

“In—in _love?_ ” he yelps—quietly, of course. Natsu is still asleep on him. “We’re not—at least, I don't think—I mean, I’ve never really given this… this _soulmates_ thing much thought, so I don't really know…”

“Well, it’s fine! Everyone approaches the idea of soulmates differently, since everyone’s soulmate bond is different. Like Azumane-san and Nishinoya-san’s, for example. They are complete opposites, but they complement each other as foils instead of wildly clashing with each other. And as for you and Hinata-kun…” She trails off, touching her pinky to her lower lip. “Your dynamic is like: you push Hinata-kun to fly, and when he finally does he brings you along with him. Does that make sense?”

Kageyama pauses, thinking (it’s hard work, since he used up his final two brain cells during the study session earlier). Hell, she's right. Ever since agreeing to work with Hinata, Kageyama has made it his goal to make sure Hinata soars high above everyone else on the court. He would not rest until he has seen Hinata standing at the peak, like a beacon of victory.

If this is what it means to be soulmates with Hinata, maybe he can live with this.

 

* * *

 

Things swiftly go to hell after the weekend-long training camp.

It had begun when Hinata declared he would stop closing his eyes when jumping for the toss—which Kageyama firmly believes is _beyond_ stupid, since their special quick is one of their best weapons and they really don't have time before the Spring High to revamp their special attack—and came to a head in the Karasuno gym when Hinata absolutely refused to back down.

His arms and face scratched and bruised from his fight with Hinata, Kageyama stalks all the way home.

 _I'm right, and I know I'm right, dammit!_ he fumes to himself.

The few people he meets on the road back home give him a wide berth, which leads him to wonder what exactly kind of face he's making right now. If Hinata were here, he would tell him.

 _But Hinata is a selfish idiot who doesn't know what is best for the team,_ Kageyama reminds himself bitterly.

He stops briefly at the fork in the road and realises that this is the first time in a long while he is alone at this exact spot. Previous times, it was always Hinata with him, but this time Hinata must have taken a different route back home with Yachi instead of him.

If he closes his eyes and ignores the ebbing and flowing of rage still within him, he can remember the way he felt when Hinata asked him for a kiss the first time: his heart pounding, a stirring in his chest, tingling electricity coursing through him. If he stands here longer, perhaps he would recall all the different arguments he had with Hinata in this very spot, as well as taste the remnants of the kisses they shared here.

This tiny spot between two diverging roads has never felt so wide before.

He shakes his head. What was all that? He isn't the sentimental type, and he has no plans to start any time soon. After taking a moment to clear his thoughts, he takes the right path, resuming his quiet (all-too quiet) walk back home.

Whatever appetite he had has shriveled up and died after the fight, so he heads straight to his bedroom after arriving home, dumps his bag on the floor and flops on the bed. He doesn't care that he is sweaty and gross from the journey back from Tokyo; he can barely muster the energy to move at all.

Despite this, his body simply refuses to fall asleep. In his mind, he replays every moment of the fight—the words Hinata yelled at him, Hinata crashing into him begging for more tosses, the furious, greedy inferno burning in his eyes that once stirred something in Kageyama’s heart but now struck something ugly in him. He turns every word he said to Hinata over and over in his head, wondering what he could do or say to convince Hinata to see reason.

He doesn't get any reprieve even in his dreams when he eventually does fall asleep. His dream is murky, rapidly shifting between various scenes in different gyms—Karasuno’s gym, the gym at the Tokyo training camp, the Miyagi stadium gym, and Kitagawa Daiichi’s gym. The scenes meld together, and the sounds of people talking and hitting the ball and the ball slamming into the floor coalesce together, becoming more and more horribly distorted with each shift of the scene. Panic grips Kageyama's body like a vice. He thrashes in his bed, trying to force air through the tight knots in his chest.

Just then, one voice in particular rings through the cacophony, sharply cutting off the rest of the air to Kageyama’s lungs.

_“I want the strength to fight on my own!”_

_“I won't let go until you toss to me!”_

_“I'm going to stop closing my eyes.”_

Kageyama bolts upright, a ragged gasp ripping itself out of his throat. He pants harder and faster than he ever did after practice. Dammit, _dammit,_ why tonight of all nights? He hasn't heard Hinata’s voice in his dream for a long time, so why tonight?

Sometimes, he really hates his soulmate bond with Hinata.

 

* * *

 

When practice is called off because of gym maintenance and Kageyama decides to wander over to the city gymnasium for no good reason other than to avoid the team (they must have heard of the fight by now, and he'd rather not have Daichi lecture him about fighting with his teammate), the last person he expects to see out and about on a Monday afternoon pops up right before his eyes.

“Oi-oikawa-san?” Kageyama yelps in disbelief. He eyes the tiny child beside his former senpai. Who is this child and why did Oikawa kidnap him? “What are you doing here?”

“Looking after my nephew,” Oikawa sniffs haughtily, one hand on his hip. Ah, so he _didn't_ kidnap the child.

“Don’t you have club activities?” Kageyama can't picture Oikawa as the type to skip practice.

“I always take Mondays off.”

Kageyama reels, horrified. “Eh? You skip practice once a week? What a waste of time!”

“There's a difference between ‘resting’ and ‘skipping’,” Oikawa says snidely. “Goodbye. Don't get into trouble now, Tobio-chan.”

“Wait!” Now that his two brain cells have caught up to the situation at hand, Kageyama would hate to lose this opportunity to glean some nuggets of wisdom from his former senpai. “Oikawa-san—”

“Nyeh! Don't wanna talk to you, stupid.” Oikawa pulls an eyelid down and sticks his tongue out at Kageyama.

Indignation flares through Kageyama. He hasn't even _said_ anything yet!

He bows his head. “Please listen to what I have to say, Oikawa-san!”

“Hmph. Why should I have to listen to what an opponent wants to say?” Oikawa turns on his heel and begins to walk away.

But Kageyama isn't going to give up, not when he has finally found someone who can tell him how to solve this problem with Hinata. He leaps down the stairs and plants himself in front of Oikawa and his nephew, his head still bowed low.

“Please listen! I won't take too much of your time, promise.”

“Gah, you're still here?!” Oikawa demands, taking a step back.

They stand there in silence, neither wanting to back down. Kageyama keeps his head inclined, even if his neck is starting to burn from the strain.

Eventually, Oikawa relents.

“Don't move, Tobio-chan. Takeru, take a picture of us, will you? You know how to use a phone camera, don't you? Just hold it up like this and press the big button at the bottom. Yeah, no, like _this_.” There are some sounds of shuffling before Oikawa’s feet return to view in front of Kageyama’s still-bowed head. He must be holding up a peace sign or something, as he says, “Yay, now I have a picture of Tobio-chan indebted to me!”

After the photo is taken, Kageyama finally lifts his head and is greeted by Oikawa’s appraising look.

“Yes, what is it, Tobio-chan? Hurry up and spill already. I'm a busy guy, don't you know?”

“You said you've got free time ‘cause your girlfriend dumped you!” Takeru chimes in accusingly.

“Takeru, keep quiet and don't interrupt when the _adults_ are talking, will you?! Though I suppose Tobio-chan is still a child too.”

“Um, well…” Kageyama mumbles, trying to find a way to phrase this in a way Oikawa would understand. “Let’s say a big competition were coming up, but, uh—like, Iwaizumi-san started going off about doing a totally ridiculous new attack—”

“Look, dearest Tobio-chan,” Oikawa interjects impatiently, “if you want to talk about something, drop the shitty examples and just get to your point already.”

Kageyama scowls. “… Fine. Hinata says that he wants to spike the ball on his own will, instead of closing his eyes for the quick strike we always do.”

“Huh.” Oikawa sounds genuinely impressed, instead of sneering and scoffing like he normally does. “If Chibi-chan could do that, that’d be incredible. Give it a shot.”

“Ehh? But Hinata doesn't have any skill to pull that off, and with the Spring High coming up soon we don't have _time_ to figure out a new quick attack.”

A sly smirk crosses Oikawa’s face. “And so you told Chibi-chan, ‘Just move as I tell you to’, rather much like a dictator, no?”

Kageyama stiffens at the word ‘dictator’. It is uncomfortably close in meaning to his old nickname.

“Have you considered this—that Chibi-chan will want to respond to his desired toss with everything he has, after pouring all his effort into doing so? Thinking that the current status quo is the best and sticking to it, not wanting to explore alternatives that _could_ work out even better for your team, is pretty cowardly, no? Don't get things mixed up, dear Tobio-chan; the one who controls where that attack goes is not you. It’s Chibi-chan.” Oikawa spears Kageyama with a sharp look that seems to pierce right through his soul. “If you can't understand that, then you'll always remain as the tyrannical King of the Court. Aren't you supposed to be Chibi-chan’s soulmate, someone who complements him and helps his improve, not his dictator?”

With that, Oikawa pivots on his heel, beckons his nephew, and disappears without much of a farewell.

_“Aren't you supposed to be Chibi-chan’s soulmate, someone who complements him and helps his improve, not his dictator?”_

Come to think of it, didn't Yachi say something similar? Kageyama’s mind flashes back to the Hinatas’ dining room, where he and Yachi were enjoying their mochi and talking about his relationship with Hinata, and her words ring through his mind like a wake-up call.

_“Your dynamic is like: you push Hinata-kun to fly, and when he finally does he brings you along with him.”_

Kageyama clenches his fists. How could he have been so stupid as to forget the very foundation of his promise to make Hinata invincible? His role as Hinata’s setter is to _push_ him to the point where he can find his wings and soar to the summit, not _pull_ him up there.

The world before him suddenly becomes much clearer, like a fog has finally lifted. Now, the problem is finding out how _exactly_ he can push Hinata to the summit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as i had zero (0) self-control when writing this, there is still one more chapter left :-) thanks for reading!!


	3. hold on, make it last (hold on, never turn back)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the title of this chapter is from ['Mine' by Taylor Swift.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPBwXKgDTdE)

Meeting Coach Ukai Sr. is a dream. Training with him would be a nightmare if it weren't for Hinata’s near-ridiculous levels of motivation and stamina.

After a long gruelling day of practising first-tempo strikes with everyone in the summer heat, Hinata enjoys a dinner of omurice that his mom prepared and strawberry ice cream afterwards to cool him down from being under the sun all day long.

“Shouyou,” his dad asks quietly, “is everything okay? Your mother and I have noticed you've been on edge after returning from the camp. You've been pushing yourself really hard lately, too, even more so than usual. Did something happen with Tobio-kun?”

Hinata blinks. This is probably the longest thing he has heard his dad say in a while. “Uh—”

“Did Tobio-nii hurt nii-chan?” Natsu chimes in. When the heck did Kageyama go from being ‘Tobio-chan’ to ‘Tobio _-nii’_ to her?

“Natsu, don't interrupt,” his dad chides.

“Um, Kageyama and I…” Hinata trails off awkwardly and takes a bite of his ice cream as an excuse for stopping mid-sentence. He isn't sure how to explain his fight with Kageyama to his dad in a way that would make sense to his non-volleyball-literate father (he genuinely tries to understand, but something about Hinata’s explanations must not be very clear), as well as not make his dad instantly hate Kageyama. While he's still somewhat emotionally sore from their fight, he doesn't want to alienate Kageyama from his family. They are soulmates, after all.

Eventually, he settles on, “We, um, had a disagreement. About volleyball. We haven't spoken since then. Heck, I’ve barely seen him since the camp.”

Hinata’s father nods sagely. “That happens. Relationships aren't perfect, even if you're soulmates. _Especially_ if you are soulmates. Your mother and I are soulmates, and we’ve been together for twenty-four years but we still disagree from time to time. What matters is _how_ you resolve the problem. Relationships are give-and-take; one or even both of you have to compromise for the sake of both your happiness. You don't have to agree on every single thing, but the important thing is that you understand each other and you both try to work things out such that the both of you can be happy.”

Hinata stares at his dad in amazement. Getting anything longer than three sentences out of him at a time is a rare occurrence, and he just delivered a mini _speech._

“Do you understand, Shouyou?” his father adds worriedly, after several moments pass without Hinata saying anything.

Hinata nods quietly, lost in thought. Compromise, huh? Try to come to an understanding, huh? Normally, understanding isn't a problem—up until their fight, Kageyama has always understood Hinata without needing words—but how can he work things out with Kageyama if fundamentally they refuse to budge from their stances? Hinata wants to grow and improve their quick attack so he can stand on his own two feet on the court; Kageyama wants to maintain their status quo and focus on improving other aspects of their game-play. How are they going to reconcile two vastly contradicting stands like that?

But later that night as he is drifting off to sleep, he hears Kageyama’s voice in his dreams, clear as a flowing stream in a lush forest.

_“A set that drops right at the apex of the toss? … I’ll give it a shot.”_

Whatever that means, and whatever the context of that is, one thing is for sure: Kageyama is evolving, and Hinata has no plans to lose to him.

 

* * *

 

At several points during the training camp, Hinata notices something _different_ about Kageyama and his tosses. If he were to describe it, the toss Kageyama sends his way during the first match against Fukurodani feels less like his usual _“wa-bam!”_ tosses and more _“fwoosh”._ The ball hurtles towards Hinata with a different spin and velocity, throwing him off. It stops mid-air for the briefest of seconds, then drops down several feet short of where he is. With no ball to spike, he lands on the ground with an empty thud.

The next one Kageyama sends his way has the same feel, except it overshoots way past Hinata’s right hand. In the split second he’s hanging mid-air, his left arm shoots up and he is just barely able to knock the ball over the net. That earns Karasuno a point, but that is the last thing on his mind right now.

_“A set that drops right at the apex of a toss.”_

He stares at Kageyama in amazement. Is this what Kageyama meant in his dream two weeks ago? Whatever it is, Kageyama is completely different from the last time he tossed to Hinata.

When the match against Nekoma comes around, Hinata can tell that once again, something is off about Kageyama. His toss, instead of the new hanging one he did during the Fukurodani match, feels more like his usual quick tosses—the ball curves in the air where previously it stopped and dropped. Hinata realises what this different toss means, and to say he's _not_ happy about it would be an understatement.

With his honed reflexes, Hinata just barely manages to spike the ball down past Lev’s block, but when he lands from the jump he immediately whirls on Kageyama.

“Oi!” Hinata yells, furious. “You did a shoddy job just now, didn't you?”

Kageyama tilts his head, the way he does when he's pissed, and scowls down at Hinata. “Me, doing a shoddy job at volleyball?” He grabs the front of Hinata’s shirt and yanks him closer. “I dare you to say that to me again, asshole!”

Last time, Hinata would have quivered under Kageyama’s glare. But now, he refuses to—this time, he has to make a stand. “That toss just now wasn't the falling toss at all! That isn't the toss I want. I want the falling toss, the one you said you would give a shot. But if you give up on it, then that's not called taking a shot!”

A bewildered look replaces Kageyama's glare. “Huh? How did you—”

“I’ve never doubted you and your tosses, and I never will, so stop doubting yourself!” Hinata yells, and the entire gym freezes. He pants hard, glaring up at Kageyama.

Kageyama doesn't reply. He merely stares down at Hinata with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open in a small ‘O’. Slowly, he releases Hinata. Something in his expression changes, and whatever it is, it takes all the previous hesitation away. Still not saying a word, Kageyama turns on his heel and returns to his spot by the net.

After the match against Nekoma ends with the cats’ umpteenth victory, Kageyama approaches Hinata.

“From tonight onwards, I won't be practising with you.”

“Ehh? What's that?” Hinata demands, shocked and affronted. “You wanna fight, huh?”

Kageyama’s stare could burn holes into the ground. “As long as I keep screwing up the toss you want, I shouldn't practise with you. I would just waste your time. I'm going to practise on my own until I get it right.”

“Ehh?” Hinata watches him in disbelief. This, coming from a guy who said _“There's no need for you to think on your own when we do this quick attack”_ barely a month ago? Something must have really shaken Kageyama for him to do a complete flip in attitude, and eventually Hinata is going to dig what exactly that something was out of him.

“You being all considerate and stuff is really creepy,” Hinata says. “But hurry up and get better at that toss! I wanna spike it!”

“That's why I said I’m gonna practise on my own, dumbass!” Kageyama snaps. He effortlessly picks Hinata up and flings him halfway across the gym. Hinata lands on his feet, dusts himself off, and hurries back to rejoin Kageyama and Yachi.

“Ah, I'd sure like to see that new quick attack soon,” Yachi muses, flinching when Kageyama and Hinata round on her eagerly.

“No problem!” Kageyama exclaims at the same time Hinata declares, “We’re gonna do it!”

Yachi smiles at them, wide and bright. She has done so much to help them even be able to attend the training camps, and she has stuck with them, even after they scared her with their fight (in his anger at Kageyama, Hinata forgot how easily she gets frightened). Hinata wants to make her proud. He wants her to see him and Kageyama standing together at the summit that she too has played a part in helping them reach.

The two of them turn to each other and nod, filled with a new determination.

“Don't mess up now!”

“That's my line!”

Now that Hinata knows Kageyama is going to be working hard with Yachi to improve his new toss, he can't fall behind. No, he too is going to train hard so he can stand at the summit with Kageyama.

Hence, he bounds over to the third gym, where Tsukishima is training with Akaashi, Bokuto and Kuroo. Lev pops up out of nowhere, claiming that Yaku-san let him out early for doing a ‘good job’. It doesn't take long for a three-on-three match to get going.

Hinata spends the next few evenings post-practice to train more with his newfound squad. He learns many valuable things from Bokuto-senpai, whom he decides is definitely on par with Nishinoya-senpai in terms of coolness. Where Nishinoya has flashy ‘rolling thunders’, Bokuto has sheer power and, surprisingly, feints. Hinata would never have guessed a cool Ace like Bokuto-senpai would use an attack that doesn't flaunt his raw power, but his eyes are soon opened to why exactly feints are badass too.

Which is why when Kageyama follows Hinata’s successful feint with the new toss and Hinata spikes it down with a successful _BAM,_ Hinata feels like he could explode with the sheer amount of pride and delight and satisfaction coursing through him.

In the background, Karasuno erupts into cheers. Coach Ukai pumps his fists, Yachi nearly bursts into tears and Takeda-sensei claps excitedly, raving on and on about something to do with gears and cogs finally fitting together and working.

Hinata runs over to Kageyama and bounces up and down excitedly. “We did it, Kageyama! That was amazing! The ball stopped right in front of me for a split second, y’know? It was all like _shoom!_ This time, I definitely felt it coming, but when it stops right in front of you for real it feels kinda scary, y’know? Like, lots of pressure and stuff. But I wasn't scared, ‘cause you were the one tossing to me. You really are incredible, Kageyama!”

Kageyama stares down at Hinata like he’s just sprouted tentacles or something. Maybe that is just Kageyama’s weird emotionally-constipated way of showing his happiness. Stiffly, he reaches out to ruffle Hinata's hair before returning to his position by the net.

Even though the match still ends with Karasuno’s loss, Hinata counts that as a personal win for him and Kageyama. He can finally feel his wings start to unfurl, slowly but surely.

The summit doesn't seem so out of reach now.

 

* * *

 

“Dumbass, for the last time, no!” Kageyama barks, whirling around and seizing the top of Hinata’s head. “Let go of me already, dammit!”

“It’s not fair!” Hinata whines. Despite Kageyama’s best efforts to get rid of him, he resolutely remains clinging to Kageyama’s waist. “You've met my parents, so why can't I meet yours?”

“It’s stupid. You don't need to—it’s not necessary for volleyball.”

Hinata tilts his head, curious. “Are you _hiding_ something, Bakageyama? What, your porn stash?”

“Dumbass!” This time, Kageyama manages to rip Hinata off him and fling him across the gym.

Hinata lands in a clumsy sprawl on the floor but quickly bounces back on his feet. Seeing as trying to annoy Kageyama into letting him meet his parents isn't working, Hinata decides to switch tactics. “If you don't let me meet your parents, I’ll… I’ll…”

Kageyama arches an eyebrow. “You'll?”

“I’ll show the team the pictures of Natsu sleeping on you!”

“Pictures of what now?” Tsukishima chimes in, smirking. As usual, Yamaguchi snickers behind Tsukishima.

“Excuse me?!” Kageyama splutters, red-faced. “How do you even—” He turns to Yachi, who is looking guiltily at the floor. “Yachi-san? Did you—"

“I'm sorry!” Yachi squeaks. She drops down onto the floor in the dogeza position. “The two of you looked so cute I couldn't resist. Plus, I wanted to know what Hinata-kun would say if he saw the two of you like that. I—I’m sorry, Kageyama-kun, please don't crush me I'm sorry I'm sorry!”

Kageyama sighs, pressing a hand against his face. Hinata smirks—victory is in his pocket now, because he knows while Kageyama can and will get mad at him, there is no way Kageyama can be pissed at someone as nice as Yachi.

“Fine,” Kageyama finally relents. “Today after practice. We’ll have dinner at my place.”

“Eh? So soon?” Hinata exclaims.

“What? Didn't you say you wanted to come over to my place? If you don't want to, that's fine too—”

“Deal!” Hinata hurriedly interjects.

“Oh well, looks like I'll have to get the pictures from Yachi-san some other way, then,” Tsukishima drawls.

“Fuck off,” Kageyama snaps, while Yachi cowers behind Kiyoko. “Like she'd show them to some asshole like you anyway.”

Tsukishima opens his mouth to retort, but Daichi cuts in with a “Guys. Practice. Now.” The bickering first-years send each other poisonous glares before hurrying to the court.

Thankfully, practice goes by in a blur. After changing out of his sweaty practice attire, Hinata cheerily bounces alongside Kageyama to Shimada Mart on their way to Kageyama’s home.

And with everything they do, grocery shopping is a competition too.

“I'm going to beat you to the cashier!” Hinata shouts the moment they step through the open doorway of Shimada Mart.

“Idiot!” Kageyama snaps. “You don't even know what to buy—”

Hinata doesn't stick around to hear the rest of it, too excited by the prospect of buying food for them to eat later. The first thing he sees is a row of potato chips, so he snags a bag off the shelf. Next to the snacks aisle is several refrigerators of ice cream, but before he can dash over a hand grabs a fistful of his shirt and yanks him back.

“Dumbass, didn't you listen to me?” Kageyama growls, his basket (thankfully empty) knocking against Hinata’s backside. He releases Hinata’s shirt, only to clamp onto his head instead and grind his palm into the top of Hinata’s head. “And what are you doing with those potato chips, huh? We have a tournament coming up, so you can't feed yourself that crap. You need lots of vitamins to stay healthy, as well as protein so you can build your muscles. If you want to win the tournament—no, if you want to stand at the top of the world with me, you need to eat right.”

“Fine.” Hinata sulks, but he returns the potato chips back to its home. He loves snacking as much as the next person, but standing by Kageyama’s side on the court is miles more important. “What are we buying, then?”

“Chicken breast, eggs, soy sauce, vegetables and onions,” Kageyama rattles off, like this is routine to him.

“Ooh, you're making dinner? I thought we’d be buying something pre-made to eat at your place.”

“I make all of my own meals. It’s the best way to ensure I’d be getting all the nutrition I need to play at my best.”

Hinata gazes up at Kageyama, awed. “Wow, you really are amazing, Kageyama! I thought you were just some grumpy old man who’s only good at volleyball, but looks like you're good at cooking too!”

“Dumbass. Don't call me an old man—you're older than me.” Kageyama knocks his knuckles against the side of Hinata’s head. “Just help me find the stuff I need. Say any more crap, and you can starve for the rest of the night.”

“Meh, Kageyama is so mean.”

But Hinata trots beside Kageyama obediently, keeping his eyes peeled for the items Kageyama wants. Soon, another competition fires up between the two of them: who can find the items faster. It’s a close fight—Hinata finds the onions, soy sauce and vegetables before Kageyama, but because he mistook chicken leg for chicken breast, Kageyama ends up winning. With the basket that Kageyama insists on carrying despite Hinata’s whining (“It’s too heavy for your pathetic twig arms”), the bickering duo makes their way to the counter to pay.

“You had an advantage,” Hinata grumbles as Kageyama places their items on the conveyor belt.

“That's because I make my own food like an independent person,” Kageyama snaps. “Now shut up, I'm trying to pay.”

Hinata reaches into his bag and pulls his wallet out, waving it in Kageyama’s face. “I can pay!”

“No, you won't, dumbass!”

“Why not? You carried the basket, so I get to pay!” Hinata opens his wallet and starts to fish out several thousand yen, but Kageyama clamps his much larger hand around Hinata’s wrist.

“Don't, just don't. I got this, okay?” Kageyama growls, glaring at him. Still keeping Hinata’s wrist captive, he somehow manages to take his credit card out of his wallet and hand it to Shimada-san, who is watching them with an amused smile.

“The two of you sure are lively, aren't you?” he comments good-naturedly, taking the credit card. Hinata and Kageyama glance away, their cheeks a matching shade of red.

As the store is mostly empty, Shimada makes some small talk with them about the upcoming Spring High Preliminaries while checking out their items.

“There are some scary powerhouse schools in the line-up, right?” Shimada asks, his voice light and conversational.

“Yeah, but we’re gonna beat them!” Hinata declares confidently. He wraps an arm around Kageyama’s and pulls him closer. “This guy and I have a new _POW-WOW_ attack, and we’re gonna use it to knock that stupid Grand King off his throne. After that, we’re gonna beat Shiratorizawa and all the other schools and become the champions in the prefecture. Then we’re going to nationals and we’re going to absolutely _ZAM_ all the teams there! Kageyama and I and everyone on the team will be the last ones standing at the summit.”

Shimada chuckles. “I see. That's very ambitious of the two of you, but I believe in you. Good luck with the preliminary rounds.”

Hinata beams and exclaims his thanks, while Kageyama quietly bows his head.

Once he is done bagging their items, Shimada hands them three plastic bags. Hinata manages to snag one before Kageyama snatches the other two, much to his delight.

“Ha, you can't stop me from carrying a bag!” Hinata crows of his victory as they step out of the cool air-conditioning of the market and into the blistering summer heat.

Kageyama rolls his eyes. “Whatever, it’s just one bag. I'm still carrying more than you.”

“Yeah, but that’s ‘cause you're a selfish meanie who insists on doing everything on his own. ‘I’ll carry the basket on my own, I’ll pay for everything on my own using my fancy-schmancy credit card, and I’ll carry two bags all on my own because I'm so macho’.” Hinata tries not to focus on how nice and toned Kageyama’s forearms look when carrying the bags, with the sleeves of his club jacket rolled up to his elbows and all that. The hard planes of muscle and veins press against his skin, and Hinata finds that _maybe_ he doesn't mind Kageyama carrying most of the plastic bags after all.

They bicker all the way to Kageyama’s home. They stop at the porch, where Hinata expects Kageyama to take the key out, open the door and let the both of them in—instead, in one swift motion, Kageyama puts the bags down, grabs Hinata by the shoulders and backs him up against the door.

“Ka-kageyama?” Hinata exclaims. Warmth creeps up his neck and floods his face. Come to think of it, it has been a while since they have done anything like this. The last time was way before their fateful fight in Karasuno’s gym… This line of thought makes him realise just how starved for touch he has been for the past month they weren't on speaking terms.

Without saying a word, Kageyama leans down and captures Hinata’s lips in a heated kiss. Hinata lets the plastic bag slide out of his hand, reaching up and wrapping his hands around the back of Kageyama’s neck, tugging him closer. Hinata wants to feel more and more of Kageyama, experience everything Kageyama has to offer him—and Kageyama rises to the challenge. As he dips his tongue into Hinata’s mouth, his knee pushes its way between Hinata’s legs, pressing against Hinata hard and forcing a small moan out of him.

Kageyama breaks away from the kiss, only to dip his head even lower. Hinata feels a warm pair of lips close around the side of his neck, sucking at the soft skin. Teeth tug lightly, and there’s a flick of Kageyama’s tongue that sends shivers racing down Hinata’s spine.

Hinata’s hands slide down to grip Kageyama’s back. As Kageyama shifts his attention from one side of Hinata’s neck to the other, Hinata can _feel_ the muscles working underneath the layers of cloth. He lets out a desperate keen of Kageyama’s name, which Kageyama responds to by pressing his knee even harder between Hinata’s legs and biting down gently down on Hinata’s neck. Kageyama has never marked him like this before, but Hinata can't be bothered to care. It feels good, like his mind is drowning in all the sensations Kageyama keeps giving him with every touch and kiss.

Kageyama rises back up and kisses Hinata on the lips again—but before things can get even hotter, Hinata’s stomach growls, effectively killing the mood.

Kageyama removes his knee from between Hinata’s legs and steps back, much to Hinata’s disappointment. “If you’re hungry, say something, idiot. With the Spring High right around the corner, you can't afford to—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Hinata mutters. He bends down to pick up the fallen plastic bag (thankfully nothing is damaged, or Kageyama would definitely have his head), then steps out of the way so Kageyama can unlock the door. “Jeez, with the way you keep nagging like a mother hen you’re gonna replace Sugawara-san as the team mom.”

“Shut up and learn how to take care of yourself.” Kageyama pushes the door open and practically shoves Hinata in before stepping in himself and locking the door behind them.

Hinata stumbles in, cursing Kageyama’s roughness when earlier it was so arousing. “Where do I put this?”

“Kitchen, duh.” Kageyama flicks on the lights in the house.

Hinata takes his time to admire Kageyama’s home. While Hinata’s place is definitely bigger than this, Kageyama’s home is in no way cramped. Where Hinata’s home is cluttered with sofas, rugs and cute succulent plants, Kageyama’s is kept to a simple minimum: a clean grey sofa seated before a small coffee table and TV, a small rack to the side stacked with shoes, and a round wooden table under a hanging light. Simple, minimalistic, and very Kageyama.

“What are you staring at?” Kageyama barks. “Put the food in the kitchen already.”

“Right, right.” Hinata trots over to the kitchen to join Kageyama, where Kageyama has stripped off his jacket and tossed it over a chair. Hinata takes the vegetables and the meat out of the bag, placing them on the counter, then turns to Kageyama for further instructions.

“Go watch TV or something,” Kageyama orders. He bustles around the kitchen, pulling various pots and pans out, laying a chopping board on the counter and washing rice.

“No, I want to help you.”

“You have no experience in the kitchen. You'll just get in my way.”

Hinata puffs up with indignation. “I _so_ can help, even without experience! Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

Kageyama measures him with a skeptical look. “… Fine. Wash your hands first, then I’ll show you how to crack an egg.”

Hinata beams. He bounds over to the sink, washes his hands as quickly as he can, and returns to Kageyama’s side eagerly.

Kageyama holds up an egg. “This is how you do it.” He knocks the egg firmly against the surface of the counter. Cracks form in the pale brown surface of the shell. After a few knocks, he lifts the egg over a bowl, digs his fingers into the cracks and pulls the shell apart, letting the egg inside ooze out into the bowl. He tosses the broken eggshell into a nearby trash can, then turns to Hinata. “Think you can handle that?”

“I sure can!” Hinata chirps, grabbing an egg from the counter. He's going to be the best egg-cracker ever, even better than so-called cooking genius Kageyama. That will show Kageyama not to underestimate Hinata, a miracle boy in the kitchen despite having zero experience.

He shifts himself, standing before the bowl containing Kageyama’s egg. Excited to carry out his task, he raises the egg up high above his head.

“Ah, Hinata, be careful. Don't use too much—”

In one swift motion, Hinata _smashes_ the egg down on the counter, causing eggshell, yolk and egg-white to explode everywhere.

“—force.”

“Oh.” Hinata chuckles nervously. “Um, it’s not that bad!” He glances around, desperately trying to find a towel to clean up the mess while also avoiding Kageyama’s murderous glare.

“Dumbass!” Kageyama growls. He snatches Hinata right before Hinata can escape and shoves a paper towel in his hands. “Clean this up. Next time, _pay attention_ to what I'm telling you to do.”

“Aye aye.” Hinata cleans the counter of the ruined egg without too much trouble, though picking off tiny bits and pieces of sticky eggshell proves to be a little trickier.

Once done, he tosses the used towel into the trash can and bounces over to see what Kageyama is up to. Kageyama’s face is pinched with concentration as he slices the onions with chilling efficiency. Hinata glances up to see if Kageyama is crying, but his eyes betray nothing but focus. Wow, he must really be an incredible cook if he doesn't cry when chopping onions.

“Kageyamaaaaa,” Hinata whines.

Kageyama’s focus does not waver. “What did you ruin this time?”

“Why did you assume I did something wrong again? It was just one time!”

“One time too much.”

Hinata bristles. “I want to help.”

“I've had enough of your help,” Kageyama snaps. He brings the knife down on the chopping board with a hard _thud_.

“Please please please? I promise I won't do something stupid again like I did with the egg. I’ll follow your instructions carefully.”

“If I let you do something and you _do not mess it up,_ will you stop bothering me?”

Hinata’s face lights up. “Yeah!”

“Fine.” Kageyama puts his knife down and grabs another chopping board and knife. This one is noticeably smaller than Kageyama’s. “Take a carrot from the chiller and cut it up in thin slices.”

“Right!” Hinata bounds over to the fridge and yanks open the top shelf.

“Idiot, that's the freezer. The carrots aren't going to be among the ice cream. The chiller’s at the bottom.”

“Right, right.” This time, Hinata opens the correct shelf and pulls out a packet of carrots. He takes one out and pads back to where Kageyama is.

Kageyama takes the carrot from him, places it down on the board and chops off one end. “That's how you do it, got it? Just copy what I did, be careful and you won't go wrong.” _You better not go wrong,_ is the rest of his unspoken sentence.

Hinata nods and takes the knife from Kageyama. He watches, fascinated, as Kageyama slices the onions with lightning speed. He scoops the slices up, tosses them onto a pan, takes another onion and reduces it to thin slices like he did with the previous one.

 _I'm not going to lose to him,_ Hinata decides. He isn't known as the fastest player on Karasuno for nothing, after all. One hand on the end of the carrot and the other gripping the knife, he starts going all Gordon Ramsay on the carrot. His hand is a blur, repeatedly lifting up the knife and bringing it down. The thuds of the collision between the knife and the board come out at in a seamless stream, and Hinata starts to think to himself, _Hey, maybe I’ll beat Kageyama at this rate—_

A sharp pain bursts in his finger, interrupting his train of thought. Surprised, he glances down, only to see blood trickling out of his index finger.

“Ouch,” he says belatedly.

“Idiot, I _told_ you to be careful,” Kageyama scolds him. He washes his hands, and once his hands are clean he grabs Hinata’s injured hand. “You can't go around injuring yourself like some dumbass when we have the Spring High Preliminaries right around the—”

“Corner, yes, I know,” Hinata grumbles, pouting. “It was an accident—you don't need to get on my case like _grr,_ y’know?”

“I will get on your case all I want. We can't perform our new quick attack together if you're hurt. And besides that, I let you help _me_ make dinner in _my_ kitchen, but instead of helping all you're doing is getting in my way. Come.”

Kageyama drags Hinata over to a cabinet. He rummages around it before pulling out a first-aid box. His large warm hand cupping Hinata’s, he disinfects the cut on Hinata’s finger. The cold alcohol stings the open wound, but Hinata refuses to let out even a peep.

After Kageyama dresses the wound, he steers Hinata into the dining room and forces him onto a chair.

“You are to _stay here,_ ” Kageyama orders. “You're not going to destroy any more eggs and carrots, and neither are you going to injure yourself.”

“I just wanted to do something for you,” Hinata mumbles, miserable. He genuinely wanted to help Kageyama, but all he has done is be a bother when Kageyama went out of his way to buy food to cook for them despite not being on board with the idea at first.

Kageyama sighs. He reaches out and ruffles Hinata’s hair. “Look,” he says gruffly, “just having you here is enough, okay? You can watch TV or listen to music or talk whatever to me, I don't care.” In contrast to his grouchy behaviour, he leans down to press a gentle kiss against Hinata’s forehead, causing Hinata to jolt in shock. Just as quickly as he kissed Hinata, he pulls away and returns to the kitchen. “Dinner will be ready in half an hour.”

Hinata, his breath stolen by the surprisingly tender kiss, only nods in reply.

 

* * *

 

Hinata’s eyes light up when Kageyama lays two steaming bowls of chicken katsudon on the table, next to their bowls of miso soup and a side dish of sliced carrots and potatoes.

“Wow, this smells amazing!” Hinata exclaims. “You really are an incredible cook, Kageyama.”

Kageyama’s cheeks redden. “You haven't even tried it yet.”

“I don't have to try it to know it’s gonna taste great!” Hinata picks up his chopsticks and stuffs a piece of chicken in his mouth. However, he forgets that this is fresh off the stove, so he ends up burning the roof of his mouth. He gasps, tears in his eyes, and he fans his mouth desperately.

“Idiot, do you ever think before acting?” Kageyama mutters, handing Hinata a glass of water.

Hinata gulps the water down gratefully. “I'm fine. Um, let’s—let’s talk about volleyball! Like, the latest strategy Ukai-san came up with.”

Kageyama’s expression brightens at the mention of volleyball, his previous ire forgotten.

The next half hour or so is spent having an intense discussion about the strategy Ukai came up with earlier during practice, as well as their potential competition in the tournament, while wolfing down the katsudon. The complex saltiness of the chicken and egg dance across Hinata’s taste buds, and the rice has been boiled to perfection, not too soft or hard. Once he has polished off his katsudon, he proceeds to slurp down his soup. It’s so good Hinata rushes into the kitchen for seconds, hence missing the moment the door unlocks and someone else walks in.

“Hi, mom,” Kageyama intones from the dining room, and Hinata freezes. Shit, he didn't think Kageyama’s mom would be back so soon. He clumsily pours soup into his bowl, and in his haste to hurry out to greet her he ends up sloshing some soup on his shirt.

Kageyama’s mother turns out to be a thin woman of average height. She has Kageyama’s dark hair and deep blue eyes, though where Kageyama’s eyes are clear, lucid and focused, hers are weighed down by dark bags. The red lipstick on her lips has clearly long-faded. She must be around the same age as Hinata’s parents, but the lines on her face make her seem ten, maybe even twenty, years older. When she turns to face Hinata, her penciled eyebrows quirk up. Hinata gets the distinct feeling that he is already being appraised before even saying anything.

“Ka-kageyama-san,” he stammers in a way of greeting. “I—I’m Hinata Shouyou, Kageyama’s soulmate and teammate. It—it’s a pleasure to meet you!”

“Soulmate?” Her eyebrows raise even higher. “Tobio, you didn't tell me you met your soulmate.” Her voice, however, lacks any accusation it should hold; instead, she just sounds surprised and curious.

Kageyama’s stare remains fixed on his empty bowl of katsudon as he mutters, “I just—you know what I think about this whole—” He waves a hand vaguely. “—thing.”

“I do, Tobio, I do.” Pain replaces curiosity in her voice, and the lines in her face seem to deepen even more.

Hinata watches them, confused. Clearly, there is some history they share that he isn't privy to, and he wants to know what it is and why it happened.

“Yeah,” Kageyama mumbles. “He's my spiker.”

Despite the curt words, Hinata’s heart warms. He has long figured out that in Kageyama-speak, ‘spiker’ and ‘soulmate’ are synonymous. After all, ‘setter’ and ‘soulmate’ are one and the same in Hinata’s mind too, and he knows that when it comes to volleyball they tend to think the same way.

“I'm going to wash up,” Kageyama announces, getting up from his seat. He carries his bowls and disappears into the kitchen, leaving Hinata alone with his mother.

She sighs and takes Kageyama’s seat at the table. “Hinata-kun, was it? Please take a seat.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Hinata squeaks, hurrying into the seat opposite her. “Um, how are you, Kageyama-san?”

“Please call me Ayame.”

Hinata blinks, taken aback. This is how Kageyama must have felt when Hinata’s parents told him to address them by their given names, he supposes. “Oh, okay… Ayame-san.”

Ayame-san rests her chin on her hands, clearly exhausted. “I must thank you, Hinata-kun. Thank you for being a part of Tobio’s life.”

“Eh?” Hinata rubs the back of his head sheepishly. “It—it’s nothing! Besides, we’re soulmates, so how can I not be a part of his life?”

“Still, Tobio looks far happier after he met you—which I presume is around the time he started high school—even if he doesn't like to show his emotions like that. There’s a certain glow about him now—it’s subtle, but it’s there, and I have a feeling that that glow is because of you.”

“Eh, really? But if he's so happy, why… why has he not acknowledged me as his soulmate? Whenever someone brings up the topic of soulmates, he acts all stiff and grouchy and changes the subject. I don't think I've ever heard him even _say_ the word ‘soulmates’.”

Ayame-san sighs, her eyes downcast. “I'm sorry, that is probably the fault of me and his father. You see, his father and I weren't soulmates, but we fell in love and got married anyway.”

Hinata blinks, taken aback. “You—you can do that?”

“Yes. A lot of people don't end up meeting their soulmate, so they settle for whoever they develop feelings for or someone they believe can support them in the long run. For him and I, not being each other’s soulmate didn't matter, as long as the feelings and devotion we had to each other were real.” The lines on her face seem to sink deeper into her skin. “That is, until Tobio was about eight. Around that time, somewhere and somehow, he met his true soulmate, and so he left us for her.”

Hinata’s hand flies over his mouth. “That’s horrible…”

Ayame-san just shrugs. “I can't blame him. To find one’s soulmate within one’s lifetime is a rare occurrence, let alone to _be_ with them, so when the opportunity comes up one has to seize it.”

“But still, he had a family…” Hinata falters. A host of questions run through his mind, most of which are too uncomfortable for him to contemplate—what if he and Kageyama weren't soulmates? Would they still play volleyball together? And what if he found his true soulmate—would he ditch Kageyama for them, or would he stay by Kageyama anyway?

“Please don't worry about it, Hinata-kun. The past should stay where it belongs. Or, at least, that's what I like to tell myself.” Ayame-san sighs. “To cope with the sudden loss of his father, Tobio turned to volleyball and became single-mindedly obsessed with it. I suppose it helped to take his mind off the pain and confusion, as it must have been too much for an eight-year-old to be able to process. Thanks to volleyball, which consumed all of his concentration and nearly every single waking moment, he managed to push the loss to the very back of his mind—and along with it, the idea of soulmates. Volleyball helped numb him to the pain. I don't think he even remembers _why_ he became so obsessed with volleyball in the first place.”

For once, Hinata finds himself at a loss for words. All this time, he thought Kageyama was just an emotionally-constipated idiot, and so he left it at that. He never thought to dig deeper, to find out the root of _why_ Kageyama can't express his feelings like a normal person, or why everything to him led back to volleyball. He watches Kageyama’s figure in the kitchen, hunched over the sink and scrubbing dishes, and wonders how he has been able to live with so much pain for so long.

“That's why I'm thanking you, Hinata-kun.” Ayame-san reaches across the table and clasps his hands. “For a long time, Tobio was stuck in his own mind, in his perpetual thunderstorm which he didn't know how to—or maybe didn't _want_ to—escape from. But meeting you must have cast a light in his life, chased away the storm and showed him a brighter, warmer way to live. I may have just met you, but I can already tell you are good for my boy—call it a mother’s intuition, even if said mother isn't around much in her son’s life because she's too busy working.” She lets out a dry, self-deprecating chuckle. “I'm glad the fates have entwined both of your fates together.”

All Hinata can do is stare at her, slack-jawed. Previously, he thought his relationship with Kageyama was founded on the notion that Kageyama was the one who made Hinata strong; he never once thought of it the other way round.

Hinata recalls every moment he has shared with Kageyama, the good and the bad: their first meeting; the first time Kageyama tossed to him; the declaration Kageyama made to him that he would make him invincible; the first time they kissed at the fork in the road; the pain of the loss to Aoba Johsai they shared; the fight and the reconciliation; the first time they successfully pulled off the new quick attack; and the warmth he felt when he tasted Kageyama's cooking for the first time. He remembers every burst of joy, exhilaration, anger, disappointment, admiration—and love. It’s love, and it has always been love. If this is how Kageyama makes him feel… then maybe this is how he makes Kageyama feel too.

_“I'm glad the fates have entwined both of your fates together.”_

_So am I, Ayame-san, so am I._

* * *

 

“Thought I’d find you here.”

A hand rests lightly on Hinata’s head. He turns and sees Kageyama next to him, his eyes focused on the city skyline ahead of them. Hinata smiles and leans against the balcony railing. After the intense match against Inarizaki earlier that day, the cool January air on his skin is a sweet relief.

“I can't believe it, Kageyama,” Hinata says. His breath escapes in small white puffs in the night air. “Tomorrow, we’re finally gonna face off against Nekoma. I finally get to fight Kenma in an official match.”

“Scared?” Kageyama scoffs.

“Ha, as if!” Hinata turns to him, beaming widely. “I've never been more excited in my whole life. This pounding in my heart—how I felt before we faced off against the Grand King, Shiratorizawa and our first opponents in Nationals can't compare. Maybe Kenma doesn't care either way if he wins or loses tomorrow… but I will defeat him. Up to now, no matter how strong we've gotten, we have never been able to defeat Nekoma. But!” He grabs Kageyama by the front of his shirt and tugs him closer. “Tomorrow, we will beat Nekoma. We will defeat our fated rivals, advance through the tournament, defeat everyone in our way and reach the summit together. So please… please toss to me tomorrow!”

Kageyama stares down at Hinata with a blank expression for the briefest of moments, before a small smile blooms on his face. It… it doesn't look half-bad. It even is kind of cute, though Hinata would sooner die than tell Kageyama that.

Without saying a word, Kageyama’s large warm hands reach up and cup the sides of Hinata’s face. He leans down and presses his lips gently against Hinata’s, and Hinata melts into Kageyama’s strong and reassuring hold. Most of the time when they kiss, it’s rough, heated and passionate—a competition, just like everything else they do.

But this kiss—it’s slow, gentle and sweet, like a whisper of a love confession.

And above all, it’s a promise. A promise to win and stand at the summit together. A promise to see it all through to the very end.

Kageyama pulls away from the kiss, resting his forehead against Hinata’s. “Without a doubt. Make sure you score.”

Hinata grins. “If you're the one tossing to me, I definitely will.”

“Oi, you two, enough with the PDA!” Tanaka calls to them from inside their room. “We have a long day tomorrow, so get your scrawny asses here and go to sleep.”

“Yes, Tanaka-san!”

The two of them turn to each other, exchange the briefest of grins, before heading back into their room.

Tomorrow, they'll climb the summit higher than they ever have before, and they will keep climbing.

 

* * *

 

It is the fifth and final set of the final match. So close, they're so close. Hinata can feel everyone’s hearts beating in sync, yearning and desperately reaching for the final point.

Asahi tosses the ball and executes a powerful jump serve, which the opponent just barely manages to receive. The libero returns the ball to their setter, who tosses it to their own Ace. With a whip-like motion, the Ace sends the ball hurtling back to Karasuno’s side of the court.

“I got it!” Nishinoya yells. He dives to receive the ball, sending it in a perfect arc to Kageyama. Karasuno's side of the stadium bursts into applause at the flawless receive, but all that Hinata is focusing on is Kageyama.

_What will he do?_

_Where will the ball go?_

_The ball has to come to—_

“Me!” Hinata yells. “Toss to me!”

The entire world slows down. In this frozen piece of time, everything else fades into the background. Opponents and teammates alike vanish; the cheers are nothing but white noise; he barely even feels the sweat trickling down his face. His eyes lock on to Kageyama’s, and Kageyama nods his head ever so slightly.

That is Hinata’s cue.

He takes off in a run. His leg muscles burn from the strain of running and jumping for five sets straight, but he pushes himself through the pain and leaps up higher than he has ever reached before. His eyes widen as he takes in the entire scene before him, searching for openings in the receivers and blockers.

_There._

His hand reaches up, connecting perfectly with the ball Kageyama has sent his way, and fueled by months of training, crushing defeats, and hard-earned victories, he slams the ball down with all the strength he has gained from being a part of this team.

The ball whizzes by so fast the opponents don't even realise what is happening until the referee blows his whistle, announcing Karasuno’s victory.

For a heartbeat, the entire stadium is shocked into silence.

Then, the best kind of pandemonium ensues.

Nishinoya, one of the fastest players on the team after Hinata, is the first to tackle him to the ground in a fierce hug.

“Shouyouuu!” Nishinoya wails. “That was amazing, Shouyou!”

It doesn't take long before the entire team is piled together in one massive hug/dogpile, even the more reserved members like Tsukishima (who was probably forcibly dragged into it). All around Hinata is a cacophony of cheers, sobs and hands grasping at him.

“You're so cool, Hinata!” Tanaka sobs into Ennoshita’s shirt. “I'm so proud to call you my badass little kouhai!”

“Agreed,” Daichi says warmly, smiling down at Hinata, with an arm around Sugawara and the other around Asahi. “When you first started, you were closing your eyes when you spiked. But now, look at you! You run, jump and fight in the air independently, and you were the one who scored the final point for us.”

Hinata’s already-hot face heats up even more. “Ahh, I didn't do it alone, though. The only reason why I could fight was because all of you were with me—I could feel everyone’s fierce desire to win. And the reason why I could fight in the air—” He pauses, looking around for the reason. When he spots it, he gently pushes his way through his teammates and grabs Kageyama’s arm, pulling him close in a tight embrace. “—is him! It’s Kageyama’s tosses that make me invincible, so I wouldn't say I was fighting completely on my own.”

“Yeah, Kageyama’s tosses were sharp and cool as ever,” Sugawara agrees, his eyes wet with triumphant tears.

“We have to give Tsukki’s blocking credit, too,” Yamaguchi pipes up, which is followed by an embarrassed “Shut up, Yamaguchi” from Tsukishima.

As the rest of the team sing each other’s praises through their tears, Kageyama turns to Hinata, placing a hand on his head and running his fingers through Hinata's hair.

“You know what the next step for us is, don't you?” Kageyama asks gruffly.

Hinata pauses, then remembers the promise he and Kageyama made before the Interhigh Preliminaries. “The world, right?”

Kageyama nods. He doesn't say anything, but his hand never leaves Hinata’s head, like it’s a reassurance of some sort.

“Yay, we’re the best in Japan, and now we’re going to be the best in the world!” Hinata cheers. Wait… “‘Us’?” he quotes carefully. “I mean, I know we’ve been saying stuff like ‘We’ll reach the summit together’ and all that…”

_But now that we are actually here…_

Kageyama’s face flushes a deep red. His fists clench, like he's struggling internally with something. Finally, after winning whatever inner turmoil he was facing, he barks out, “Yeah, ‘cause we’re soulmates, dumbass! Now, you coming with or not?”

Hinata thought he couldn't be any happier after _winning nationals_ , but upon hearing Kageyama’s words he feels like he could burst with all the joy and excitement and love in him. A wide grin splits across his face, and he reaches up on his tiptoes to plant a quick kiss on Kageyama’s lips. “Don't you remember? We’re setter and spiker first, then soulmates,” he teases.

Kageyama’s fingers tighten around Hinata’s head in annoyance, but the rapidly increasing flush in his cheeks gives him away. “Whatever, they're the same thing. You're my kind of soulmate—heck, my kind of forever. Anyway, is that yes or what?”

Hinata beams up at Kageyama. “Yes, all the way until the summit and even further after that! Let’s stand at the very top of the whole universe!”

Kageyama returns the grin. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

And then he lifts Hinata up into a kiss, longer and deeper this time, thus sealing their promised forever together.

It’s time to climb even higher than either of them have reached before—together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was a ton of fun to write! i hope you enjoyed reading this as much as i enjoyed writing this :D

**Author's Note:**

> chat with me on [tumblr](https://hqissodelicate.tumblr.com/) :D
> 
> EDIT: you can read random bits of trivia and my personal headcanons about this AU on tumblr [here!](https://hqissodelicate.tumblr.com/post/188035190087/hey-for-the-5-factsheadcanons-thing-can-you-do)


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